


Bad Moon Rising

by tacoma_vibes



Category: Cut & Run - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Angst, Blow Jobs, Eventual Happy Ending, Hand Jobs, M/M, Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-21 07:56:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15553146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tacoma_vibes/pseuds/tacoma_vibes
Summary: Ty Grady is in his seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His life is an uneventful yet happy blend of homework, Quidditch and best friends. A new student with a mysterious past captures his attention and changes Ty's life for the better or the worse.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've not included any of the Harry Potter OCs, except for Dumbledore, Peeves and Fenrir Greyback. And halfway through writing this I realized that I'd left out Owen and Eli. But this is unfinished, so I'll try and make room for them somewhere. Also Hogwarts is set in America simply to justify Zane's Texan accent ;-) I was totally confused about which house to put Zane in, and then i finally decided on Ravenclaw. In hindsight, I guess I'd make a pretty bad Sorting Hat.  
> Despite all the minor misgivings, I hope you have as much fun reading this as I did writing it.

Ty Grady hummed a tune as he leaned against a wall outside the Potions classroom. His friends Nick O’Flaherty and Kelly Abbott stood beside him, indulged in a heated argument. Ty couldn’t help but smile when he heard Nick and Kelly debating the merits of eating an Acid Pop, and whether it would burn a hole in their tongue if they tried it. He met Nick and Kelly on the Hogwarts Express on platform 9 ¾ before the start of their first year in Hogwarts. The three of them had been inseparable ever since.

At that moment, Richard Burns, their Potions teacher, swung open the doors of their classroom and ushered them in. The dungeon-like classroom always made Ty feel a little claustrophobic, and he took a deep breath to steady himself. Burns was also the Head of their House Gryffindor. But unlike Heads of other Houses, he wasn’t partial to students of his own. On the contrary, he was rather uncompromising and by the book. They rushed inside, carrying their cauldrons and brass scales along. This was their first Potions class after the start of the semester. Ty, Nick and Kelly heaved their supplies to the last bench were they regularly sat. Then they moved towards the stone basin to wash their hands. Ty was scrubbing his hands under the thin stream of water when he heard Kelly mutter, “Oh great, we’re sharing a class with the Ravenclaws today.”

Ty was careful not to react as he dried his hands using a Hot-Air Charm with his wand and headed back to his seat. His eyes scanned the crowd of Ravenclaw students, immediately finding the tall and striking figure he was searching for. Zane Garrett was a transfer student from Durmstrang Institute, a school renowned for its fascination with the Dark Arts. Ty had found that to be rather odd because there were only a handful of transfer students throughout the history of Hogwarts, much less a student from a school of such nefarious reputation. And it was rarer for someone to join in their final year. Ty wondered what persuaded Headmaster Dumbledore to accept this particular newcomer. He couldn’t exactly pinpoint the feeling Zane evoked in him. He refused to call it a crush, because he wasn’t sure he was particularly fond of the guy. It seemed more like intrigue. That was the word for it. He was utterly intrigued by this brooding and mysterious stranger. Ty sometimes saw him sitting with a flock of other Ravenclaws at the Great Hall, eating his porridge quietly, not contributing much to the conversation around him. At times, Ty had noticed him cast silent incantations with an easy flick of his wand. That was very impressive because non-verbal spells were quiet hard to master, especially for such a young wizard. Ty was jolted from his reverie by the screeching of Nick’s cauldron across the floor. When Ty’s eyes searched for Zane again, he saw him sitting in one of the front seats, chatting with his fellow Ravenclaw Freddie Perrimore.

When all of them were settled, Burns tapped his wand on the blackboard, making a series of instructions appear.

“As you may already know, this year you will be taking the NEWT Exams, the grades of which will affect your merit in the profession of your choosing. So I decided to take on a tougher brew this time,” Burns said, waving his hand at the board. “Students, these are the instructions for the Draught of Peace potion, the use of which relieves anxiety and renders a sense of calm in the wizard.”

Someone at the back hollered Cameron Jacobs’s name and someone else gave a wolf-whistle. Cameron, who was sitting in one of the front rows turned a shade of pink, looking visibly flustered. Almost all the seventh-years knew about how Cameron had a nervous breakdown during their final exams last year, and had to be escorted to the hospital wing and given the Draught of Peace.

“Silence,” Burns bellowed harshly, tapping his wand on the edge of the desk, causing little yellow sparks to fly off its end. “The student who concocts a near-perfect potion will receive a phial of this already prepared one as a reward,” Burns said, holding up a phial full of silvery liquid that was the Draught of Peace.

At that, everybody sat a little straighter. Burns always knew which carrot to dangle to get them motivated. The hope of such a reward was incentive enough for them to try and brew this supposedly hard potion. Everyone scurried towards the wooden cupboards in search of the ingredients.

Ty weighed powdered moonstone using his brass scales and tipped it into the cauldron. He added in the porcupine quills and stirred the mixture in anti-clockwise direction as instructed. Burns was moving around the class, surveying everyone’s work and providing instructions when required. Now Ty’s potion was the light pink color it was supposed to be at this stage. Ty peered into Nick’s cauldron. The contents were simmering to form a cement-like consistency, and the smells wafting from it was quite pungent.

“It’s not supposed to be like that,” Ty whispered.

“I don’t know what went wrong. I followed the instructions exactly like it says on the board,” Nick muttered back.

“Did you stir clock-wise before you added the syrup?” Ty asked.

Their quite murmuring drew Burns’s attention. “Mr. Grady, if you could kindly tell me the key ingredient in Felix Felicis, also known as the luck potion?”

“Murtlap essence, sir,” Ty replied at once.

“Very good, Mr. Grady,” Burns said, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “May I ask how you came up with the answer so quickly?”

“My mother used to threaten to spray it on me when I misbehaved, sir,” Ty said promptly, eliciting a chorus of laughter throughout the class.

Burn pursed his lips. “Very well then, ten points to Gryffindor,” he said. “And try curbing the sass next time.”

“Yes sir,” Ty said briskly, before stirring his cauldron again.

He realized he was in need of some hellebore syrup and walked over to the store cupboards. As he rummaged through the contents of the cupboard, he turned to look over his shoulder on a whim. His breath caught when he found Zane Garrett’s dark eyes on him. Zane’s face remained impassive as ever, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. Ty suddenly wondered if Zane knew Legilimency— the wizarding skill of reading other people’s minds. And if so, whether Zane could hear the thousand thoughts whirring through Ty’s right now. The notion made him turn around quickly. He grabbed the phial of the hellebore syrup and hurried back to his seat, careful not to let his eyes stray.

Ty added all the remaining ingredients and stirred his cauldron again, taking care to follow the intricacies of timing. After a strenuous thirty minutes, Ty’s potion was a simmering dark grey color. It wasn’t exactly the vapory silver of the phial that sat on Burns’ desk, but this came close. Ty wagered it turned out pretty well, considering Kelly’s cauldron was emitting green sparks and another kid’s robes burst into flames. Burns walked past Ty, peering into his cauldron and giving it an approving nod.

 He stopped when he reached Zane’s desk, taking his time surveying his work. Burns pointed his wand at the store cupboard and muttered a Summoning Charm. A ladle and a phial soared towards him, which he caught deftly. He scooped some of the potion from Zane’s cauldron into the phial and held it up for everyone to see. The potion looked like an exact replica of the one that sat on Burns’ desk. “I think we have a clear winner,” Burns said, the admiration evident in his voice. “Thirty points to Ravenclaw, Mr. Garrett.”

Ty could only see the back of Zane’s head from his vantage point, so he couldn’t gauge his reaction.

“Ravenclaws are know-it-alls anyway,” Nick muttered beside him. Ty didn’t say anything. He was actually quite impressed by the feat. That in itself was strange because Ty was always very competitive, and had it not been for Zane’s flawless batch, Ty would have won this round. If it was someone else Ty would have put a Dungbomb— a magical stink bomb, in their bag just for the heck of it. But the way Ty’s mind perceived Zane’s actions irked him to no end.

 

 

After class they walked up the grand staircase towards the Gryffindor Tower, intent on finishing their Divination essay about reading tea leaves. They saw Cameron Jacobs standing in front of the Portrait of the Fat Lady, trying to reason with her. “He forgot the password again,” the Fat Lady informed them with a disapproving look at Cameron.

“I wrote it down in a parchment somewhere. I must have lost it,” Cameron told them in a frantic voice.

“Semper Fidelis,” Ty muttered and the huge door swung open, revealing a circular Common Room. He ignored the cheeky little wink the Fat Lady threw at him.

“You should not write down the password on parchments, Cam. Anyone can see them,” Ty said softly with a hand on Cameron’s shoulder.

“Imagine if Peeves the Poltergeist gets a hold of them. He would wreak havoc in the Common Room,” Nick said.

“That would be fun to watch,” Kelly added wryly.

 Cameron shook his head. “I keep forgetting them and the only way to remember is to write it down. But I put a Concealing Charm on the parchment so that no one else can see it,” he said. He thanked them and headed towards the boys dormitory. They watched his retreating figure disappear near the hallway.

“That boy is a little too jumpy,” Nick said.

“You would be jumpy too if your grandmother sent you disapproving owl posts and Howlers every week,” Kelly said.

“My grandmother’s dead. So I would be very shocked if she did any of that,” Nick told him.

Nick’s parents were both Muggles and were very reproachful of his magical abilities all through his childhood. When he received his Hogwarts acceptance letter, his father had downright disavowed him, saying a lunatic was no son of his. Hogwarts had provided him with some funds to purchase books, robes and other paraphernalia, and Nick had managed on his own from then. Luckily for him, Ty’s mother, Mara Grady had practically adopted him as one of her own. He had spent almost every Christmas at Ty’s place, wearing home knit sweaters and eating apple pie.

Ty’s cat Jiminy trod towards him from the dormitory, mewling happily. Ty picked him up and scratched behind his ear, making soft cooing noises. Hogwarts students were allowed to bring pets with them at the start of school year. Ty had decided even before he got his acceptance letter that he was bringing Jiminy along.

The three of them sat on the plush chairs near the fireplace and brought out their quills and parchments, determined to tackle the Divination homework. The Common Room was silent except for the scribbling sounds of their quills and the crackling of the fireplace. A fellow seventh-year student, Digger strolled towards them and passed around bright pamphlets. Digger’s family ran a joke shop in Diagon Alley and he sometimes advertised their products at Hogwarts. Ty saw the words _Skiving Snackboxes_ printed on the pamphlet in huge block letters. “They make you nauseous,” Digger told him with something close to unholy delight. “So you can skip classes to study for your NEWTs.”

Digger pointed a finger at Nick. “I have the perfect solution for you. It’s called the Ten Second Pimple Vanisher. It’ll make your skin smoother than silk.”

“These are freckles, not pimples. And they’re natural for redheads,” Nick said curtly.

Ty and Kelly carefully avoided meeting each other’s eyes. Digger continued his sales pitch as if he hadn’t heard Nick speak. “I also have some candy bars that will help calm your nerves.”

“If I wanted something to calm my nerves I’ll have Garrett brew me some of that Draught of Peace,” Nick said.

“That was some good stuff, wasn’t it?” Kelly agreed.

“Are you talking about Zane Garrett?” Digger asked. “Mama heard a wizard in Diagon Alley say that Garrett’s parents had a falling apart and his father took him and his little sister and moved to the wizarding village in Godric Hollow.”

Ty held his breath as he listened. This was all news to him. Except the part about Zane’s little sister, Annie. Ty had watched both of them get sorted into Ravenclaw during the Sorting Ceremony at the start of the year. That was when Zane had first caught his attention. He was surprised to see an imposing older student among a bunch of wide-eyed first-years. Annie had grabbed Zane’s hand as they walked towards the Ravenclaw table together. She seemed like a lively little girl, with long black hair and dark features matching Zane’s. Once, Ty looked out of the Common Room window and saw both of them playing in the castle grounds. Zane had conjured a flock of yellow canary birds with his wand and a giggling Annie was chasing them around.

“Of course, given his mother’s temperament that’s to be expected,” Digger said.

“What do you mean?” Nick asked curiously.

Digger drew up a chair next to them and sat down, eager to impart some tidbits now that he had an audience. “It is pretty well-known that Garrett’s mother is a Dark Wizard. I heard through the grapevine that she was planning to reanimate an army of corpses to kill muggles.” The hair in Ty’s arm’s rose as he listened.

“That’s probably why he’s so dark and brooding,” Nick said. “Maybe he inherited a few of her traits.”

“Then why isn’t he in Slytherin if he’s a Dark Wizard?” Kelly asked with a frown.

“Maybe he asked the Sorting Hat not to put him in Slytherin,” Ty said absently.

“What?” Nick asked blankly.

Ty cursed himself inwardly for his little slip. “I’ve heard the Sorting Hat sometimes lets students choose which House they’d like to be in. Or which House they definitely don’t want to be in,” Ty said, trying to keep his voice nonchalant.

“Huh,” Nick mused.

But what Ty said was only half of the story. Ty remembered his first day in school, when the Headmistress had placed the frayed and battered old hat on his head. It had muttered in his head that he would be a great fit for Slytherin. That his cunning and resourceful nature would be well-received there. Ty was appalled by the comment. Every single witch and wizard in his family were placed in Gryffindor. Ty had shuddered when he thought about the disappointed look he would see on his father’s face when he realized his son wasn’t sorted into the bold and courageous House Gryffindor, but was placed in a rival house that churned out Dark Wizards every few years. “Not Slytherin! Not Slytherin!” Ty had muttered back to the hat. After a tense moment the Sorting Hat roared ‘Gryffindor’ from the slit in its brim, to Ty’s tremendous relief. He sometimes wondered how things would’ve been different if he was placed in Slytherin after all.

“Did your dad ever say anything about this army of corpses, Ty?” Kelly asked him.

“Nah. He doesn’t talk about work at home,” Ty said.

They were asking him because Ty’s dad worked for the Ministry of Magic. Earl Grady was an employee in the Department of Mysteries. He dealt with prophecies and other confidential matters. It was quite fascinating stuff but Mara forbade him from talking about such things in front of the kids. It will disfigure their minds, she had said. But Mara already knew Ty and his little brother Deuce were as unruly as they come. Once when he was little, Ty had explored the neighboring Muggle village on his broomstick, hovering over shell-shocked Muggles. They looked up in awe at the little boy levitating in a broomstick, his robes billowing in the wind. His dad had ended up casting a powerful Memory Erasing Charm over half the village and his mother had locked up his broom for months. But apart from those little delinquent crimes, the atmosphere in his home was that of love and respect. Ty was very fond of everyone in his family.

 He was so lost in thoughts that he hadn’t heard Nick’s sharp voice calling his name. When Ty looked at him, Nick had a guarded expression in his face.

“Don’t move,” Nick whispered. “And please don’t look down.”

Curious, Ty looked down at his feet. A niffler sat no more than two feet away from him. Nifflers were twitchy little rodents with a long snouts and a coat of black, fluffy fur. And everybody knew Ty Grady absolutely loathed rodents with every fiber of his being.

 Ty took one look at it and let out a high-pitched scream, lunging out of his chair and scrambling for cover. His racket confused the niffler, and it scuttled behind him, its short legs moving in quick steps. Ty shouted and climbed onto another chair, trying to shoo the creature away. To make matters worse, Jiminy climbed into the chair as well, in a bid to help Ty. Nick and Kelly were torn between the desire to intervene and the more overwhelming need to laugh their asses off. Digger on the other hand, toppled back into his chair and was howling with laughter. All this commotion attracted other students from their dormitories, who watched the showdown in amusement.

Finally, Ty came to his senses and pulled out his wand from his robes. “ _Petrificus Totalus_ ,” he yelled, pointing his wand at the niffler that was now trying to climb up his leg. A flash of white light shot out of his wand and hit the creature. It froze mid-air and slid down to the floor, its limbs splayed stiffly in a theatrical display. Ty glared mutinously at Nick and Kelly, who had given up their restraint and were now in hysterics. “Thanks for the help,” Ty said through gritted teeth.

Nick held up his hands in defense, his laughter trailing off. “I was going to, man. But everything was moving so fast I was scared I’d hit you by accident. You got it under control,” he said, waving a hand at the niffler that lay frozen on the ground. Ty nodded and looked at it with a grimace. Jiminy nudged closer towards it and sniffed the motionless creature with interest. Ty knew the jinx would wear off soon and someone had to move the creature before he freaked out again.

“Who keeps nifflers as pets anyway?” Nick asked.

“They are attracted to shiny things, so people use them to look for treasure,” Digger said.

A boy with glasses and a red jacket broke through the crowd and hurried towards them. “What the hell, man?” Red Jacket growled, kneeling down and picking up the rodent. “How about I use that jinx on your cat?”

“How about we tell Professor Burns you use your little pet to sniff out treasure?” Nick asked angrily.

“Just spare Galleons. It’s not like I’d find tiaras and goblets in the Common Room,” Red Jacket said indignantly.

Ty scowled and ran a hand through his hair. “Just…just keep the thing away, okay?”

Red Jacket glared at him for a moment before getting up and heading back to his dorm room, the niffler huddled in his arms beginning to stir. Ty was the Gryffindor Head Boy, so Red Jacket probably thought showing blatant defiance wasn’t a wise move.

“Just Galleons, my ass. He probably used Confundus Charm on the house-elves to get him some tiaras,” Nick said with a huff.

Ty chuckled and sat down to finish his pending essay.

 

 

The Great Hall was swarming with a throng of students and teachers, all looking to get some breakfast before the start of a hectic day. The morning sunrays shone through the glass windows and cast a golden glow on the dishes and plates full of food that the house-elves prepared in the basement kitchens. Headmaster Dumbledore sat at the head of the staff table, deeply engrossed by an article in the _Daily Prophet_ newspaper, his half-moon spectacles glistening in the sunlight, while his silver spoon ladled with soup floated mid-air. Ty was munching on his toast as he talked to Nick about their next Quidditch match. Quidditch was a wizarding sport played on broomsticks where the objective was to score more points than your opponents. Ty was the seeker for House Gryffindor and nothing brought him more joy than soaring through the air and catching the Golden Snitch — a speedy golden sphere with wings.

Kelly doled out some eggs and bacon into Nick’s plate. “Here, Nick. I know you like bacon.”

At that moment, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, the ghost Gryffindor House drifted towards them. “Alas, young sir. I cannot consume human food anymore,” the ghost told Kelly with a sad shake of his head.

“I was talking to O’Flaherty here,” Kelly said with a laugh, pointing his fork at Nick.

Because of his disembodied head, the ghost was dubbed Nearly Headless Nick by students, much to Nick’s chagrin.

The ghost’s grayish-silver face morphed into a bemused expression. “Oh, I can see how you’d make that mistake. We do look similar,” the ghost said, waving a floating hand at Nick.

“Oh yeah? How’s that? I’m not a silver ghost with a floating head,” Nick snapped.

“I’m also an anointed Knight and you are a mere lad,” the ghost said primly before drifting off.

“Why do you have to get on his bad side?” Kelly asked Nick wearily.

Nick gave him a shrug and dug into his bacon.

Ty snorted and sipped his orange juice. He looked up when he saw Zane and Annie sit down at the Ravenclaw table. Annie was chatting with him animatedly, gesticulating with her hand, while Zane fed her pancakes with his fork. Ty smiled as he watched them. They reminded him of himself and Deuce, but with less squabbling.

“Maybe you should brew a love potion,” Nick told him. Ty swatted at the back of his head, and Nick ducked with a laugh. Ty wasn’t surprised that his friends caught up with his subtle prying. He had come out as bisexual to them last year, and they were both very accepting.

“Or get him to brew it, ‘cause he’s so good at Potions,” Kelly said.

“Shove it, numbnuts,” Ty grumbled.

“I bet you want him to,” Kelly muttered snidely.

Ty spluttered on his orange juice, spraying it all over the linen. Nick patted him on his back and shot Kelly a glare.

“What? I have a graphic imagination,” Kelly said with an easy shrug.

“Oh god. Orange juice just went up my nose,” Ty groaned. “ _Anapneo_ ,” he said, pointing his wand at his throat. His throat cleared immediately and he slackened his jaw.

Nick snorted and stood up. “Come on, assholes. We have Care of Magical Creatures in ten minutes. McCoy will skin us alive if we’re late again.”

Ty grunted and stood up as well, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Care of Magical Creatures was his least favorite class. That wasn’t surprising at all, considering it involved close contact with flobberworms and fire crabs. During the first two years, he dreaded the class so much that he sometimes locked himself up in the Room of Requirement. Nick and Kelly had stood outside the corridor and tried to coax him out, Nick threatening to put a Body-Bind curse on him. Their Professor, Dan McCoy, was also not very keen about his regular absence and late arrivals.

Ty looked over his shoulder at the Ravenclaw Table for a last glance. They had left the table. He sighed and walked past the Entrance Hall, towards the school grounds.

When they walked across the sloping lawns towards the edge of the Forbidden Forrest, the Slytherins were already assembled there. Liam Bell, a blond-haired kid, was mimicking his house-elf to entertain a bunch of his lackeys. He hunched his shoulders and spoke in a shrill, squeaky voice, drawing laughter from the group. Ty pursed his lips and shook his head as he passed them. Liam Bell was an embodiment of all the stereotypes attributed to House Slytherin. Ty didn’t like to pigeonhole anybody, but Bell was as vindictive as they come. He often butt heads with the three of them and was openly contemptuous about Nick’s Muggle-Born status.

Michelle Clancy greeted him when he passed by. Now, that girl was a far cry from the old Slytherin clichés, Ty thought. Sure, she was ambitious as hell, and often got very competitive about her grades. But she was also thoughtful and considerate. During their third year, she had rescued Ty from a Blast-Ended Skrewt that had tried to sting him.

 McCoy emerged from his hut carrying a wooden box that rattled. Ty took a step behind Nick as he eyed the box warily.

“All right, students. Today we’re going to learn about the kneazle,” McCoy announced.

He opened the lid of the box and a cat-like creature raised its head. McCoy offered it his hand, and it clambered along the length of his arm before perching on his shoulder. Ty noticed that although it looked similar to a cat, there were subtle differences. Its ears were larger and its tail was lightly plumed, and it was of a much larger size.

“Kneazles are the felines of the magical world,” McCoy told them.

Ty perked up at that. He thought for the first time in his life he’d enjoy a Care of Magical Creatures class.

“But they have superior intelligence compared to house-cats and are often very intuitive about its masters moods,” McCoy said. “Now, who can tell me the name of the famous witch that bred kneazles?”

“Arabella Figg,” Julian Cross answered. He was a tall and stoic kid, with hard, unflinching eyes. He reminded Ty very much of Zane. Both by his demeanor and his appearance.

“Very good, Mr. Cross,” McCoy said. “Ten points to Slytherin.”

“Their whiskers are used as wand cores. That is, if they let you touch them. They are sometimes mistrustful of wizards. This one here is called Roxie,” McCoy said, rubbing the chin of the kneazle perched on his shoulder. “I have two more of these in crates inside the hut. O’Flaherty, why don’t you help me heave them out?”

They were divided into groups of five. Ty, Nick, Michelle, Julian and Liam were gathered around the kneazle called Roxie. She had immediately taken to Ty and Julian, purring in their arms as they took turns petting her.

“She reminds of my cat Jiminy,” Ty said fondly as he scratched behind her ears.

“Well, McCoy said they are quite different from cats,” Liam said.

“I’ve heard they’re often interbred with domestic cats,” Michelle quipped in.

“They shouldn’t be. They’ll lose their sanctity if they are bred with common animals,” Liam said with a pointed look at Nick.

Ty narrowed his eyes at him as he continued petting Roxie. “What’s your beef, Bell?”

“I just think magical species lose their abilities when they’re interbred. Especially such wonderful creatures,” Liam said coolly, reaching for Roxie’s whiskers. She hissed at him. Liam got the clue and withdrew his hand. But it was too late. Roxie lunged at Liam from Ty’s hands. She maimed him with her claws while he covered his head with his arms, shouting in pain.

“ _Accio_!” Julian said immediately, pointing his wand at Roxie. The kneazle flew into his arms and he immediately put her in her crate and shut the lid. The crate hissed and rattled noisily.

“It hurt me! That stinking pest hurt me!” Liam yelled.

“Oh, hush you big baby,” Michelle said. “ _Episkey_ ,” she muttered, pointing her wand at his face. His split lip and bruises healed at once.

“I told you they are mistrustful of some wizards. You must have provoked her somehow,” McCoy said calmly. “Thirty points from Slytherin for disrupting my class.”

Liam stared at him with a scandalized expression on his face.

 

 

Ty was fuming as they headed for their Defense Against Dark Arts class in the North Tower. Nick hurried to keep up with Ty’s long strides. “Ty! Wait up!”

“I’ll turn him into a gerbil. Let’s see how he feels about common animals then,” Ty muttered to himself.

“And Julian Cross saved his skin by pulling the kneazle back,” Kelly snapped from behind them.

“Cross did the right thing. If the attack had escalated, Bell would have made a scene and gotten his father involved,” Nick told them. Liam Bell’s father was a distinguished Ministry of Magic employee and a member of the school board. He sometimes pulled strings to mismanage the school’s resources, sometimes at Liam’s insistence.

Ty huffed but didn’t say anything. When he entered the class, the Ravenclaws were already seated.

“Your guy’s here. Maybe you’ll feel better,” Nick whispered. Ty rolled his eyes at him.

When Ty passed through Zane’s desk, he saw him reading a book, his head bent down like he was totally immersed in it. Ty craned his neck to read the title, but he couldn’t hover around too long.

Jack Tanner, their Professor, turned up late and he seemed taken aback to see everyone seated. Tanner was a rugged-looking wizard in his sixties, but he was surprisingly sturdy and virile for his age. “Today’s class will be a practical one, and we’ll be needing quite a bit of space. So if all of you could just get up.”

Tanner pushed their desks to a side and stacked them atop each other with a swish of his wand. All the students stood facing him in the suddenly spacious classroom.

“Right then,” Tanner said brightly with a clap of his hand. “Today we’ll be learning about the Patronus Charm, one of the most powerful defense charms known to wizardkind. It is the only spell that works to repeal dementors.”

Every kid who grew up in a wizarding household knew about dementors. Those wraith-like creatures that fed on human happiness. Apparently, they made the person they were preying on relieve their worst memories. Ty had never encountered one but he had heard enough horror stories.

Tanner paced across the classroom as he talked to them. “I know you’ve learnt about dementors in your third year, so we obviously cannot have a dementor in here. Because if we did, all of you would end up in a mental ward in St. Mungo’s.” A tittering of nervous laughter followed his words.

“So, the incantation to conjure the Patronus Charm is _Expecto Patronum_ ,” Tanner said. He waved his wand at the board and the letters appeared there.

“Expecto Patronum, Expecto Patronum,” Ty mumbled slowly.

“And when you try and conjure it, think of your happiest memory. The joy you feel helps ward off the dementors. Now, this is a fairly advanced bit of magic, but you are in your final year so you might as well try it. Lots of grown wizards can’t conjure a full-fledged patronus, so I don’t expect you to ace it,” Tanner said.

He clapped his hands again. He reminded Ty of their Captain giving them a pep talk before a Quidditch match. “You bunch are an even number so I’ll team you up in pairs in alphabetical order.” Tanner waved his wand at the board again and a list appeared.

Ty’s stomach did a somersault when he found his name on the board. Garrett—Grady. Thank God for the alphabet.


	2. Chapter 2

Ty watched Nick and Kelly move towards their Ravenclaw partners. But he remained rooted to the spot. Zane tipped his head to one side and watched Ty from across the room. When he realized Ty wasn’t coming over, he walked up to him. “So do you want to get started?” he asked when he reached Ty.

He has a slight southern twang, Ty thought. It suited him somehow. Ty remembered that Durmstrang Institute was located somewhere in the southwest. Arizona, or probably Texas. Or was it New Mexico?

Ty realized Zane was still talking to him.

“Are you okay? You seem a little…lost,” Zane said.

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry,” Zane said, the corners of his mouth twitching. “I won’t tease you if your dementor turns out to be a niffler.”

Ty wrinkled his nose. “So you heard, huh?”

“Oh yeah, your Gryffindor Portrait Lady told Peeves and he spread the word around,” Zane said, a glint of amusement in his dark eyes. Ty realized that they weren’t black like they seemed from far, but a warm brown.

“Goddamn Peeves,” Ty muttered.

“Yeah, he’s a real prankster,” Zane said. They stood staring at each other before Zane asked again, “Do you want to get started then?”

“Right, let’s do this,” Ty said, clearing his throat and rolling up his sleeves.

Tanner was walking amidst the students, shouting out advice. “The first time, try without focusing on anything, you’ll get the hang of it.”

Ty brought up his wand to point at a general direction, made a circular moment of his hand and said clearly, _“Expecto Patronum”_ A silver vapor shot out of the end of his wand. Zane repeated the motion and it produced a similar effect.

“Do you want to try with the happy memory now?” Zane asked.

Ty nodded and focused on a memory— last year when he soared through the air on his broomstick and caught the Golden Snitch, winning Gryffindor the Quidditch Cup. That definitely qualified as a happy one. “ _Expecto Patronum,”_ he said again, gripping his wand tightly. A silver shadow burst out of his wand, hovering between him and Zane before evaporating. It was similar to the one before, but more large and spindly.

“Did you see that? That was definitely something,” he told Zane.

“Yeah, like it’s evolving into a being,” Zane said.

Zane raised his wand to cast his spell, his face screwed up in concentration. As Ty watched him, he wondered what happy memory he was thinking of. “ _Expecto Patronum,”_ Zane said loudly. A large silvery cloud shot out of his wand. It had no definite shape, but was certainly brighter than the silvery vapor they both produced until then.

“I think you’re getting close,” Ty told him.

“I don’t know. Maybe my patronus is an amoeba,” Zane said.

Ty laughed heartily. The guy was charming, he had to give him that.

Zane tried once again. This time a dazzling, silver animal shot of his wand. Ty squinted blearily, trying to see what it was. It looked like a large bird, its silver feathers ruffling around Zane. He was spellbound when he realized it was a phoenix. His pulse raced when he met Zane’s eyes and they stared at each other for a moment under the dazzle of bright light, before the phoenix evaporated. Tanner came over and clapped Zane on his back. “Good work, Garrett,” he said. “Fifty points to Ravenclaw.”

 “Your turn, Ty,” Zane said softly when Tanner moved away. Ty realized that was the first time Zane had said his name. He nodded and decided to focus on another happy memory—last Christmas that he spent with his family and Nick. All of them wearing the red and gold Gryffindor sweaters Mara had knit, sitting on the floor of their dining room and eating apple pie. He concentrated hard on that day and gripped his wand.

“Expecto Patronum,” Ty shouted out this time. A dazzling light shot out of his hand, and they watched as it formed a pellucid shape of an animal with pointy ears and a swishy tail.

“A cat,” Zane said in an amused voice.

“Hey, you said you wouldn’t tease,” Ty chided softly. “Besides, cats are brilliant creatures.”

“If you say so, Meow Mix,” Zane said, his eyes twinkling. Ty decided he didn’t mind the nickname.

On the next try they conjured their patronuses at the same time. They watched as Zane’s phoenix gamboled around Ty’s silver cat. A clattering of applause broke Ty’s bubble. He was so immersed in their lesson that he hadn’t taken any notice of their classmates. Nick winked at him when he met his eyes. Ty tried to school his features, but he was well aware of his cheeks flushing.

“Now remember, producing a patronus in the middle of a brightly lit classroom when you are not under threat is very different from producing it when confronted by a dementor,” Tanner warned them.

“What happy memory did you think of?” Zane asked Ty quietly. Ty looked at him, startled that Zane had asked such a question. But he was happy to oblige him with an answer. “The last Christmas Nick and I spent with my family.”

“Is Nick the red one?” Zane asked, jerking a thumb towards Nick’s direction.

Ty barked a laugh. “Don’t let him hear you call him that. Actually, try calling him Nearly Headless Nick.”

Zane raised an eyebrow. “Will bad things happen to me?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.” Ty cringed internally even as he said it. Cheesy. So very cheesy.

Zane laughed at that. It was an easy and unencumbered sound, and it transformed his face.

“What happy memory did you think about?” Ty asked, emboldened by all the sharing.

“The day before me and my sister started school here. Dad made this huge feast, and all three of us were sitting on the patio, just having fun.” Zane’s face lit up as he reminisced.

“Your sister’s in Hogwarts too?” Ty asked without blinking.

“Yeah, she’s in first year. Also a Ravenclaw.”

“Funny how family ends up in the same house, huh?” Ty pointed a finger at himself. “Cousins, aunts, uncles — every single one of them is a Gryffindor.”

Zane cocked his head to one side as he looked at him. “But that would be like having an extensive network of spies who report to your parents.”

“Tell me about it. My cousin Emma gives my mom weekly updates,” Ty said with a roll of his eyes.

Zane laughed and ran a hand through his hair. Ty felt a strong urge to ruffle his fingers over the wavy curls as well. He looked away before he could act on the impulse. He cleared his throat and waved his hand across the room. “I think we got a hang of it.”

“Yeah,” Zane said, his lips quirking up in a smile. “Yeah, I think we aced it.”

They practiced some more and helped other students with their patronuses. Kelly was the first one to be able to produce a full-fledged patronus, his silver otter soaring around the class in circles. Tanner deemed their work satisfactory and dismissed them for the day. When they reached the corner where they had stowed their bags, Ty finally saw the title of the book Zane had been reading before. _The Tales of Beedle the Bard._ It was a popular children’s story book.

“Don’t you think you’ve surpassed the recommended age for that?” Ty said with a laugh, pointing at the book.

Zane smiled wanly and ran a finger over the casewrap binding. “I never got to read it as a kid.”

Ty studied him, and then he remembered Digger’s words about Zane’s mom being a Dark Wizard. She probably didn’t read her kids bedtime stories about virtue being rewarded. Ty wished he hadn’t said anything and soured up the previously jovial mood. The blithe look on Zane’s face was now gone.

“I liked the story about the Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” Ty said in a bid to lighten the mood.

Zane peered at him for a moment before answering. “Yeah, the one with the wizard who brews potions. I like that one too.” He slung his bag over his shoulder and headed for the door. Ty thought he caught a hint of smile on his face. “See you around, Ty Grady,” he said without turning back.

Ty watched his tall, retreating figure disappear near the doorway. “See you around,” Ty said quietly. He couldn’t help the grin pulling across his own lips.

 

 

Ty pinned the gleaming Head Boy badge on the front of his robes and smoothed the fabric around it. Being the Head Boy came with an extra set of duties like patrolling hallways to make sure other students didn’t breaking curfew. Ty thought it was futile and needless and a waste of quality time that could be spent playing Exploding Snap with his friends. He looked over his shoulder and saw Shannon Brigham, the Gryffindor Head Girl, come down from the girls dormitory. He and Shannon used to date back in fourth year but they had broken up on amicable terms and remained friends. “Ready?” Shannon asked when she reached him. “Let’s do this,” Ty said, pushing open the door of the Gryffindor Common Room. The Fat Lady grinned widely and flattened the frills of her pink gown when she saw Ty. Shannon raised one eyebrow as she looked between Ty and the portrait. “Do you know she has a crush on you?”

Ty groaned and rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand. “I really don’t crave the affections of a two-hundred year old ghost.”

Shannon laughed and they made their way through the passageways of the castle. Hogwarts was a rambling combination of various styles of architecture. It was held together by magic, different kinds of construction fitting together in impossible ways–wooden beams joined seamlessly to stone battlements and plaster walls melded into iron door frames. Some areas of the castle scared Ty, like the dungeons and the sub-levels. Some other areas were more enjoyable, like the Room of Requirement on the seventh-floor, where he sometimes went to wallow. He and Shannon split ways on the staircase for their patrol duties. Shannon went to the second floor and he headed up to the third. He walked past the Trophy Room where the different Houses kept their Championship trophies and Quidditch Cups.

He tensed when he heard footfalls and a swish of robes. When he turned around, his heart skipped a beat when he saw Zane Garrett jogging up to him. He was even more surprised to see a blue and bronze badge pinned on the front of Zane’s robes.

“You’re the Ravenclaw Head Boy?” Ty asked, blinking at him.

“At your service,” Zane said with a gallant wave of his hand.

“How did a newly joined seventh-year student bag the Head Boy title?” Ty asked.

Zane grinned as he walked beside Ty. “Got good grades all through my years in Durmstrang. And Dumbledore probably thought my hulking figure would rein in the younger students.”

Ty laughed and tried not to think about Zane’s hulking figure. “At least we can deduct points from the pesky ones.”

Zane hummed in agreement. Head Boys had the right to take away House points from students who misbehaved. Ty had always tried to exercise this right heedfully. It irked him to a great extend when he saw people like Liam Bell, who was the Slytherin Head Boy, being uncharacteristically harsh towards first years and deduct points from students who do not strike his favor.

They walked through the warren of hallways and alcoves. The castle had an other-worldly ambience to it during nighttime, like it was replaying its centuries-old history in the stealth of the night.

“This place is eerie,” Zane noted as he looked around. Ty concurred with a nod. He thought no one, not even Headmaster Dumbledore, knew all of Hogwarts’ secrets.

“Is your castle at Durmstrang the same?” Ty asked.

“Our grounds are more extensive, but the castle is only four stories high. And nowhere near this fancy,” Zane said with a wave towards the open hallways.

“Is it true that they put memory charms on visitors to erase that they ever visited the castle?” Ty asked after a heartbeat.

Zane glanced sideways to peer at him, scrutinizing his expression. Ty’s pulse raced when he felt those piercing dark eyes on him. “Yes, they are very secretive about their whereabouts,” Zane said finally.

Ty wanted to ask him about why he had left the school, but he didn’t think he shared enough rapport with the guy to ask that question. Before he could get another word in, a water balloon dropped from out of the ceiling onto Ty's head and exploded. Drenched and spluttering, Ty staggered sideways into Zane, just as a second water bomb burst at Zane's feet, sending a wave of cold water over their shoes. They yelped and looked up to find the source of the assault. Peeves the Poltergeist floated twenty feet above him, his face contorted in a wicked grin as he readied to take aim again. Zane pointed his wand at Peeves without uttering a word and the Poltergeist zoomed away from them, his loud cackle booming through the quiet air.

 They stared at each other for a moment before they burst out laughing. Zane shook his head like a shaggy dog, sending water spraying everywhere. Ty brought up one hand to still his movements. “Stop!” he exclaimed, shrieking with laughter. He pulled out his wand and cast the Hot-Air Charm, pointing the steam that rolled out of the tip at both their robes. “Thanks,” Zane muttered as their clothes dried out.

“How did you do that?” Ty asked him.

“Do what?”

“Cast that non-verbal spell so fast.”

Zane lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “We were taught non-verbal spells since first year in Durmstrang. They said it would give us an advantage over our opponents,” Zane said, peering into the darkness that Peeves disappeared into.

“Next time I get a hold of him, I’m stuffing him into a cupboard,” Ty grumbled, running a hand through his now-dry air.

Zane chuckled. “Yeah, that’ll teach him.”

When they strolled further, they came across the silhouettes of two people wrapped in an embrace, their shadows discernible by the dull orange glow of the candles that hung in their brackets. When they neared them, they found that it was a guy and a girl kissing against the stone wall. The pair jolted back when they saw Ty and Zane approach. Ty didn’t recognize either of them, so he supposed they weren’t sixth or seventh-year students. He edged closer to the guy and leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

“Next time use a concealment charm around you. Also, there are ways to bewitch corridors to turn them into rooms. Look it up,” Ty said with a smirk. He winked at the girl and moved along. The young couple stood there gawking at him, like they couldn’t believe a Head Boy had not only not reprimanded them for a breach of rules, much less offered them pointers to find a secluded corner.

Ty’s tinkling laughter echoed through the corridor. Zane looked between him and the dumbstruck couple, one eyebrow arched in amusement. “So you are a love guru of sorts, huh?”

Ty gave him a half-shrug. “They won’t get any privacy in their Common Rooms, and if they go out to the castle grounds, they’ll freeze their asses off. A little spell doesn’t hurt anybody.”

“So did you ever bewitch corridors with anyone?” Zane asked, his voice laced with what seemed like curiosity.

Ty’s stomach flipped at the question. “A few times,” he said, looking straight ahead. He couldn’t believe he was discussing his love life with Zane Garrett. “What about you?” he couldn’t stop himself from asking.

“The teachers in Durmstrang had a flippant attitude towards the students dating life, they couldn’t care less.”

That didn’t answer Ty’s question, but he didn’t press further. They continued their patrol of the corridors, chatting idly and nodding hellos to other prefects and teachers as they passed by. They stopped when they reached the entrance of Gryffindor Common Room. “This is me,” Ty said.

Zane opened his mouth, but his response was interrupted by a loud sniff. They found the Fat Lady gazing down at them, looking miserable. “All the good ones are taken. Where must a ghost go to find a date?” she asked, sounding teary.

Ty’s eyes widened, and he seemed mortified when he met Zane’s eyes. Zane, for his part looked like he was trying hard to curtail a laugh. “Goodnight, Ty,” he managed before walking away, heading towards the Ravenclaw Tower at the west side of the castle. Ty hurriedly muttered the password and swung the door shut, blocking any further questions from the Fat Lady. When he looked around, he found the Common Room empty and he did a little happy dance.

Ty soon found out that the adjacency of their surnames meant that they were assigned as partners for a lot of their shared classes. History of Magic was the most fun class because by common consent, it was the most boring subject. Ty and Zane played a game of Hangman on their parchments while the wheezy, droning voice of their History of Magic professor made everyone else sleepy. During a Defense Against Dark Arts class, Zane had managed to disarm Ty, causing his wand to go flying across the room and thwack Digger on the nose. Tanner was not pleased, and it had cost them both thirty points each. But Digger had laughed it off. During Herbology class, Ty had accidently sprayed Bubotuber pus — a slimy green liquid, all over himself, causing boils to erupt all over his skin. Zane, who was watering a shrub near the sink, rushed to his rescue when he heard Ty’s shriek of pain and cleared the boils with an easy flick of his wand. He used the Orchideous Spell to conjure a bouquet of white orchids to appease his disgruntled partner. Their Potions class was were Zane’s abilities truly shone. He concocted potion after potion of bottled perfection, exactly like the ones stored in the wooden cupboards. Zane waved him off when Ty joked that he should pursue a career as a professional potion maker. They discussed Quidditch tactics and bickered about their favorite teams; Ty preferred Argentina while Zane’s favorite was Ireland. But it was their nightly patrols together that Ty enjoyed the most. Suddenly the bleak and sinister corridors of Hogwarts didn’t seem so sinister after all. They rebuked a group of fourth-year students for stealing custard tarts from the kitchens, which they confiscated from them and ate together sitting on a veranda, laughing as crumbs of pastry fell onto their laps. They finally managed to capture Peeves and stuff him into a cupboard, only to later learn that he was released by another student.

 After two weeks of this good-natured affability, Ty found himself cornered by Nick and Kelly in their Common Room.

“Spill the details, Grady,” Nick prodded him.

“Are you guys doing it yet?” Kelly enquired.

Ty pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “We’re just friends.”

“Yeah, right. All of a sudden you are playing hooky from Quidditch practice and being so eager to do your Head Boy duties because you want to spend time with your ‘friend’. You two are basically like an old married couple now,” Nick scoffed.

Ty looked between his two best friends incredulously, seeing that the irony of Nick’s implication was lost on them. Nick and Kelly had been skirting around each other for the past six years, mistaking their fondness for one another as brotherly love. Ty thought it would dawn on them based on Kelly’s sullen moods whenever Nick went on a date, but they were as oblivious as ever. Any outsider could see the bond they shared, plain as day. Ty sometimes wanted to thump their heads together, to make them come to their senses. But it was their step to pursue, not his. As for Zane, Ty was determined to take their newfound companionship to the next level. He was planning on asking him out on a date to Hogsmeade —a wizarding village near Hogwarts. He did not care if the response was an outright refusal, he had to know if his feelings were reciprocated. But Zane had been absent from class all day long. Ty was a little anxious because Freddie Perrimore had told him that he hadn’t seen Zane in their dormitory either. He realized Nick was still talking to him.

…..spend the whole class writing concealed notes to each other. Just friends, my ass.”

“Guys, when is our next Hogsmeade visit?” Ty asked suddenly.

Nick frowned at the odd question before answering. “We have one tomorrow morning.”

Dammit, Ty thought. The chances of bumping into Zane today was miniscule since they didn’t have any shared lectures today and Ty was free of his nightly patrol obligations for the day. But there was a good chance Zane would go to Hogsmeade tomorrow, since it would be the students’ first visit after the start of this semester. Ty hoped he would run into him tomorrow.

“I’m going to take a shower. You guys worry about _your_ love lives,” Ty said pointedly before heading to their dorm room.

Kelly cocked his head to one side, watching Ty’s receding figure with a frown. “What does he mean by that?” he finally asked Nick.

Nick shrugged and yawned widely before slumping down on the wingback chair beside the fireplace.

 

 

Deuce fidgeted from side to side, too impatient to stand still as Ty worked on his necktie. Ty frowned as he took in the stubborn knot, then tapped his wand on the tie again. It caused the wide end of the tie to loop around Deuce’s collar tightly, constricting his airway. Deuce spluttered and staggered back, clutching his throat. Nick rolled his eyes and swatted Ty away, stepping in front of Deuce to undo the tie with his hands. “Some things are better done the muggle way,” Nick muttered, unfastening the knot and deftly looping the tie. Ty moved back and reclined on his four-poster bed, his movements rustling the silk sheets.

“Will they ask for the permission slip when we enter the village?” Deuce asked them, his eyes sparkling.

Ty rolled his eyes at his brother’s enthusiasm. Deuce was in his third year, and Hogwarts only allowed students of third year and above to visit Hogsmeade. When Earl had signed Deuce’s permission slip last Christmas, he was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“No, they won’t ask for it unless they suspect you’re a first or second year student,” Ty said.

Deuce thanked Nick and bade them goodbye, sprinting towards the Common Room in search of his classmates.

“Be careful,” Ty called out after him.

 

Ty, Nick and Kelly ambled through the road to Hogsmeade, passing trees covered with rust colored leaves. They had ditched their robes for pullover hoodies and jeans. Ty shivered and shoved his clammy hands into the pockets of his hoodie when the October air brought in a tincture of cool breeze. A sliver of moonlight shone through the skeletal branches of the trees, and when Ty looked up he saw the full moon shining against a cloudless sky. They saw the light glimmering off the taverns when they neared Hogsmeade. It was a dainty little village with thatched cottages and holly wreaths hung outside the doors.

“C’mon,” Nick said, heading towards Three Broomsticks, “Let’s hurry up before all the good seats are taken.”

Three Broomsticks was a popular pub the three of them frequented every time they came to Hogsmeade. Ty particularly liked the Butterbeer— a butterscotch flavored beverage, they offered. Ty scanned the busy inn when he pushed the door open. His gaze passed over a couple of Seers with pointy hats hunched over a crystal ball, before resting on Perrimore sitting with a group of his fellow Ravenclaws. Zane wasn’t among them. He sighed and slid into one of the high back bar stools that lined the drab counter and gestured at the waitress for three Butterbeers.

“I heard McCoy is planning to bring a herd of Hippogriffs to Hogwarts,” Kelly said.

“What?” Ty asked sharply, turning sideways to look at him. Hippogriffs were magical animals with the head and wings of a giant eagle and the hind legs of a horse. It was another creature that belonged in the vast list of creatures Ty hated.

“He’ll probably include them in our syllabus this year,” Kelly added. 

“No,” Ty said, looking horrified by the prospect. Nick patted Ty’s arm consolingly before grinning and nodding at the pretty little waitress who placed a tray of foaming Butterbeers before them.

“He can’t do that. It’s probably for the new batch next year,” Ty reasoned vehemently.

“Probably,” Kelly said absently, his gaze fixed on Nick.

Ty reached for his glass mug and took a few gulps of the warm Butterbeer. The strong, piquant flavor seared his throat, but it was a welcome burn. It did not provide the buzz of alcohol, but it had its own intoxicating tingle. After they downed their drinks, they decided to pay a visit to Zonko’s Joke Shop at the end of the road.

The streets were a jumble of Hogwarts students and wizards doing their weekend shopping. Ty’s eyes fell on a familiar tall figure about fifty feet ahead of them. “Go on, I’ll catch up,” Ty told Nick and Kelly before hurrying forward. Nick’s response was unintelligible in the hum of the crowd. Ty skid past the throng of shoppers, trotting along the road to reach his target. “Hey Zane,” he said brightly, gripping the arm of the person in front of him.

 When Zane turned to face him, Ty’s insides went cold. Zane’s eyes were bloodshot and sunken and his hands were curled up into fists. He looked like he didn’t even recognize Ty. His eyes darted to Ty’s hand gripping his arm and he let out a low snarl. Ty’s entire body stiffened on hearing that blood-curdling sound and he immediately let go of his hold. Zane whirled around without a word and kept on walking, his pace hurried and frantic.

Ty stood there watching his diminishing figure, too petrified to move. Nick and Kelly came up beside him. “What did he say?” Nick was watching him, his brow furrowed in concern. Some of Ty’s shock must have been apparent on his face.

Ty shook his head solemnly. “Nothing,” he murmured. “Let’s go.”

Ty remained in a stupor when they went to the joke shop, barely paying attention to the tricksy objects on display. When they made their way back to the castle, that animalistic snarl kept ringing in his ears over and over.

 

Ty didn’t see Zane anytime during the weekend or even their Herbology class on the first weekday. He was partnered with Cameron and they studied about Dittany— a magical plant with healing properties used to heal wounds and prevent blood clots. Ty and Cameron did well in their assignment and both earned a bottle of Dittany lotion each.

The next day, when Ty sat down for his History of Magic class, certain about his partner’s absence, Zane walked in. He apologized to the professor for his tardiness and took a seat next to Ty.

Ty looked straight ahead, trying to concentrate on the professor’s dull monotone.

“ _another goblin rebellion occurred in Great Britain in 1752. Minister for Magic Albert Boot lasted in office only two months, resigning when the…._ ”

Ty supposed the distraction next to him was the only thing keeping him awake during the soporific lecture. He chanced a furtive glance sideways. Zane sat rigid and upright, his gaze forward, just like Ty’s. But Ty didn’t buy that he was listening, because nobody ever did. For the rest of the class they exchanged three sentences in total, all about procuring notes for this lecture. Zane didn’t comment on their little encounter in Hogsmeade and Ty didn’t prompt him. He could be a sulky bastard too, Ty thought to himself. When the class was over Zane got up and headed to the door, not saying another word. Ty muttered a curse and pulled out a stack of papers from his bag. It was a pending essay about the Girding Potion he had yet to submit to Burns.

He parted ways with Nick and Kelly on the first floor corridor and climbed the steep staircase towards Burns’ office. When Ty entered the small study, he saw Burns sitting on his leather armchair behind his desk and Zane sitting in front of him on one of the guest chairs, his fingers grazing a pewter hip flask that sat on the desk. When Zane saw Ty, he tensed slightly and withdrew his fingers from the flask and clutched the edge of the desk instead. Ty slinked towards the desk and placed his essay atop a pile of other files.

“That’ll be all, Mr. Grady,” Burns said politely but the dismissal was clear in his voice. Ty nodded and headed outside. He stopped on his tracks at the end of the corridor near an alcove, his mind reeling as something made sense. The severity of the epiphany he just unearthed made his knees weak.


	3. Chapter 3

Ty stood just outside the alcove, his arms crossed over his chest as he waited. He didn’t have to linger long. Zane stopped short when he saw Ty still outside Burns’ office. “Can we talk for a minute?” Ty asked casually when Zane drew closer. Zane tilted his head to one side, eyes narrowed as if trying to assess the situation. “Sure,” he said finally. They moved to stand inside the curved walls of the alcove, facing each other. Ty’s eyes fell on the pewter flask jutting out of the robes near Zane’s hip.

“Is that Wolfsbane Potion?” Ty asked grimly, meeting Zane’s eyes.

For the most part, Zane’s bearing remained stoic. But Ty noticed that his shoulders tensed ever so slightly and a muscle in his jaw twitched. “How did you find out?” Zane asked coolly.

“You disappeared just before full moon. That’s when werewolves transform. When I saw you in Hogsmeade, your face was all livid and you looked like you were going to bite my head off. That’s a trait of werewolves just before they transform. You looked like shit warmed over when you turned up for class this morning. I’ve heard transformations takes a toll on the werewolf’s appearance. You are a werewolf.” Ty thought repeating the word werewolf would help ease his shock a little.

Zane apparently thought the same too. He gave Ty a sardonic smile and shook his head. “You think saying the word over and over would make you feel better?” Zane asked darkly. He didn’t wait for a response. He quickly withdrew his wand from beneath his robes and pointed it at Ty.

“What are you doing?” Ty asked him, eyeing Zane’s wand warily. Ty’s eyes widened when he realized what was going to happen. He quickly gripped Zane’s wrist to try and stave off the deed.

 “What do you think will happen if you cast a Memory Erasing Charm on me? Next month on the full moon you’ll transform again, and I’ll figure it out again. How many times will you keep casting the spell?” Ty reasoned.

Zane pulled his arm free off Ty’s grip and exhaled sharply. He turned his face away, appearing to be at his wit’s end.

“What would I gain from reporting you and getting you expelled?” Ty asked slowly as he watched the despair on Zane’s face.

“How can I trust you not to do that?” Zane asked loudly, his voice earnest.

Those words caused a dull ache in Ty’s chest. He pursed his lips, trying to quell the hurt. “I guess you have to wait and find out,” he said coldly.

Zane nodded jerkily and bowed his head, stashing his wand back into his robes. When he looked up at Ty, his eyes were honest and sincere. “I’m sorry I was so distant before. I just—I didn’t know how to react to seeing you in Hogsmeade.”

That’s when Ty saw the hurt and fear behind those dark brown eyes. He couldn’t fathom what was going through Zane’s mind back then; trying to cling to some last vestiges of humanity before he lashed out at innocent lives, trying to get to a sheltered space where he could turn into a monster and scream and howl all night.

“Where did you go to transform?” Ty asked, his voice sounding tremulous to his own ears.

“Shrieking Shack.”

The Shrieking Shack was an abandoned house in the outskirts of Hogsmeade, with its windows and doors boarded up. So that was why Ty saw him loitering at the end of the street near The Three Broomsticks.

“Dumbledore cast a few spells around it to repel people for just the day, but I…I got lost searching for it,” Zane said quietly. Ty’s heart went out to him again, when he thought of a distraught Zane running amok, trying to get to his hideout. It was sheer luck that he didn’t end up tearing someone to bits, and had reached his abode in time. Ty cleared his throat. “Who else knows?”

“Well, Burns. He’s the one who gets me the ingredients for the Wolfsbane Potion, which I brew in his study,” Zane said, tapping a finger on the hip flask that was still visible near the hem of his robes. “And my family, of course. Annie insisted that she wanted to come along, but it’s too dangerous for her to be anywhere near me at the time.”

“What about Perrimore?” Ty asked abruptly.

If Zane found it surprising that Ty knew he was close to Freddie Perrimore, it didn’t show in his face. “I sometimes came close to telling him, but I couldn’t…”

Ty understood how he felt. There was no telling how someone would react in the face of such a momentous disclosure. It was hard to say whether it would be a easy acceptance or if the person would go berserk and run to the school authorities.

Ty leaned against the curved wall and crossed his arms against his chest again, trying to assimilate everything he had just heard. “Wait, is that why you are so good at Potions?” he blurted out.

Zane laughed, the rumble sounding at odds with the grim conversation they were having. “I guess so. I’ve been brewing Wolfsbane since I was a kid.”

Ty blinked at him. He thought his mind would explode if he was privy to anymore secrets. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. “Look, you don’t have to worry about me. I won’t breathe a word about this to anyone, I can promise you that much.”

Zane nodded again and threaded a hand through his hair. “But what if someone else finds out?”

Ty thought he heard the slightest tremble in his voice. He wanted to reassure Zane that he himself had stumbled upon the discovery because he was watching him like a hawk for the past month, but that would lead to an embarrassing set of questions Ty didn’t want to answer. Also, it was entirely plausible that someone would take note of Zane’s monthly absence in the future and put two and two together.

“What did Dumbledore say?” Ty asked softly.

“He said he’d make up a pretense about some monthly wizarding conference so that people wouldn’t suspect anything.”

“Well, there you go,” Ty said. He frowned, because something didn’t add up. “Wait, how…how did you hide it all those years back in Durmstrang?”

Zane looked at him oddly, puzzled by the question. “Creatures like me are common in Durmstrang, Ty. Our affliction isn’t scorned there.”

For what it was worth, Ty was relieved that Zane had gotten away from such a ghastly environment, although he didn’t like Zane calling himself a creature. He was a human being after all. Most of the time, at least.

Zane smoothed his palms on his robes, suddenly seeming edgy. “I have to go.”

Ty nodded and flattened himself against the wall so that Zane could skim past him in the narrow alcove. “Hey,” he called out when Zane stepped out into the main corridor. “I meant what I said before. Not a word.” Then he did a sealing motion near his lips and made a show of throwing the key away.

Zane chuckled. “Thanks, Ty,” he said, before moving away.

Ty pressed his head against the wall and took in a sharp breath, trying to process everything that just happened.

 

 

Over the next four days, their previous cordiality was back. They were back to their routine bickering and teasing. After some cajolery from Ty’s part, Zane revealed little snippets about his past. He told Ty about how he was bitten by a savage werewolf when he was just eight years old. About how he had been in excruciating pain for a week and had to be locked up in a room, where he turned feral and scratched at the walls and the door till his fingernails bled. All the transformations that followed had been significantly less painful, Zane said; courtesy of the Wolfsbane Potion. Apparently, his father had custom-made a cushiony bolster for him to maul so that he wouldn’t hurt himself. He spoke highly of his father and sister, but his mother wasn’t mentioned once. Ty didn’t press for details there. He finally met Annie. Ty laughed when she sprung forward and hugged him around the midriff when Zane introduced them. Annie had recently started out as a Chaser for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Ty offered to teach her some pointers during a practice session, not caring that it wasn’t legitimate to tutor members of a rival team. When their annoying Divination professor made the class read tea leaves for two hours straight, Zane passed Ty a note saying his tea leaves looked like a werewolf gobbling their professor. Ty burst out laughing in the silent class, costing Gryffindor thirty points. All in all, it was a good week. Ty hadn’t yet mustered the courage to ask Zane out. He still wanted to, even after the drastic revelation. It didn’t color his opinion about Zane one bit. If anything, Ty was in awe of how much he had endured throughout his life with such fortitude.

 

Their Care of Magical Creatures class was scheduled for the afternoon before the weekend. The Gryffindors were standing on the patch of grass near the edge of the Forbidden Forrest, waiting for McCoy to bring along whichever grisly beast he had managed to procure for their lesson. The Ravenclaws joined them shortly. Zane punched Ty’s arm lightly when he passed by. Ty grinned and swerved away from another jab, then blew a raspberry at him. When Nick smirked at him pointedly, Ty flipped him the bird. Ty’s happy mood fizzled out when he saw McCoy rein in a herd of horse-like creatures.

“Oh God,” Ty muttered, sounding terrified. Kelly’s prediction last week turned out to be true. They were indeed going to study Hippogriffs.

“You have already learnt about Hippogriffs in theory,” McCoy began. “They are half horse, half eagle creatures, and are immensely proud and extremely dangerous.” As if to accentuate his point, the Hippogriff standing next to him glowered at them with its brilliant orange eyes and tapped its deadly-looking talons on the grass. Ty cowered behind Nick, planning to use his body as a shield in case there was an assault.

“Go hide behind your boyfriend,” Nick whispered, looking at Ty over his shoulder. Ty huffed and jabbed him on the ribs.

“Their diet consists mainly of insects, birds, and small mammals such as ferrets,” McCoy was saying. “Now, spilt up into your assigned groups. Then I’ll teach you the proper etiquette to approach them.”

Ty, Nick, Kelly, Zane and Perrimore stood in a semi-circle around the Hippogriff, giving it a wide berth. The Hippogriff glared mutinously at each of them, stomping its talons on the ground from time to time. McCoy motioned Kelly to come forward. Kelly gingerly stepped forward, until he was about five feet in front of the Hippogriff.

“Now you bow, and you wait. If he bows back, you're allowed to touch him.” Kelly gave it a hesitant bow before straightening back. The Hippogriff gave him a once-over, as if trying to assess if he was worthy of its regard. After a moment, it gave him a prim little bow.

“Okay now you can touch him,” McCoy said as he watched the maneuver vigilantly.

The Hippogriff stood still and allowed Kelly to pet its feathers. When Perrimore took his turn next, it had a disparate reaction. It screeched loudly and flashed its talons in the air. Perrimore stepped back hastily.

“If he doesn't bow, then get the hell away. Because those talons hurt,” McCoy cautioned. “Approach in pairs of two if you are nervous.”

“Wanna give it a try together?” Zane asked Ty, jerking his head in the direction of the Hippogriff.

Ty gritted his teeth and nodded. It’s better to get it over with soon, Ty thought. Besides, McCoy would turn cranky and deduce points when students didn’t interact with the animals. He trudged towards the Hippogriff reluctantly, Zane following in his wake. The creature looked at him condescendingly as he approached, its steely beak clucking. Ty questioned the wisdom of exposing his bare neck to a creature with half a foot long talons, but he gave it a stiff little bow anyway. He held his breath as he waited for the Hippogriff to reciprocate. To his surprise, it bowed and stood back haughtily. “Go on, Ty,” Zane urged softly. Ty muttered a curse and brought his fingers up to touch its smooth coat tentatively. He was relieved that it did not flutter its wings or flash its talons at him. Zane fared much better, and the Hippogriff actually chirped happily and closed its eyes at his touch.

“My father breeds Hippogriffs. We have a herd of these back home,” Zane explained with a grin when he saw Ty’s baffled reaction.

“Wow.”

“Yeah, once you get over the shock of seeing something that's half horse, half bird, you realize they’re quite beautiful creatures,” Zane said.

“Beautiful creatures,” Ty echoed drily, watching Zane pet the Hippogriff.

“Well, not as beautiful as nifflers,” Zane said, his expression deadpan.

Ty groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. “The niffler joke is getting old fast.”

“Okay, I’ll switch over to another animal then. But it’s hard to pick one because you hate them all.”

“I don’t hate cats. Or kneazles,” Ty said defensively.

Chuckling, Zane stepped away from the Hippogriff. “I know. I remember how your kitty was draped all over you.” Wednesday night, Ty had brought out Jiminy from his dorm room to acquaint him with Zane.

 Zane hadn’t been very thrilled about the idea, and seemed content to just watch Ty play with the kitten. Ty was a tiny bit disappointed that Zane wasn’t an avid feline lover like himself.

“Hey, I was thinking. Why don’t you come with me to Hogsmeade this weekend?” Ty asked without prelude. “I’ll show you all the places you missed last time.” He didn’t know where he found the nerve to be so overt, but he figured it was about time.

Zane stared at him for a long moment, his expression an odd mixture of surprise and apprehension. When Ty began to grow restless at the conspicuous silence, Zane nodded slowly, his mouth curving into a smile. “I’d like that,” he said quietly.

Ty thought he would weep with elation right there. Why he had fussed all week over a question so trivial, he didn’t know. There was no mistaking that it was a date, and Zane had got the gist and said yes. Ty couldn’t wait for the next morning.

 

 

 Ty attempted to flatten his short hair while staring at his reflection in the back of a teaspoon. He rolled his eyes at Nick and Kelly’s smug grins. He had made the mistake of confessing to them that he was meeting Zane and now they wouldn’t stop ribbing him.

“So where are you guys planning to go?” Kelly asked.

Ty shrugged as he finished off the scrambled eggs on his plate. “Thought I’d show him some of Hogsmeade.”

“Didn’t you meet him there last week?” Nick asked with a frown.

“He was meeting a friend, so he was in a hurry that time,” Ty said without batting an eyelid. He was careful not the meet Nick’s eyes though, because the guy was perceptive as hell, and Ty thought he might unwittingly give something away.

“You know, I’ve heard The Three Broomsticks has some spare rooms,” Kelly said, his voice deliberately casual.

Ty flicked him on the nose and stood up. “Keep it up and I’ll put a Stinging Jinx on both of you,” he said, narrowing his eyes at them. They laughed and waved him off, telling him not to keep his boyfriend waiting.

Ty shuffled his feet as he stood near the bustling market square in Hogsmeade. He suddenly wondered if this rendezvous would be awkward, despite the myriad of conversations they had had the whole week. Then he saw Zane walking towards him, wearing a gray cashmere sweater and blue jeans. He pulled off the look very well, the gray fabric accentuating his dark features. He grinned when he reached Ty, sliding a hand into his jean pocket.

“Hey,” Zane said.

“Hey,” Ty echoed, slightly breathless. He mirrored Zane’s stance and shoved his hand into his hoodie pocket.

“So….where do you wanna go?” Zane asked.

“Well, I thought I’d show you some of the novelty stores around here,” Ty said brightly, walking towards the stone pavement on High Street. They stopped outside Dervish and Banges, a shop that specialized in sales and repairs of magical instruments.

Ty pointed towards a spinning top like instrument that sat on the windowsill. “That thing is called a Sneakoscope. It spins and whistles when someone is doing something untrustworthy nearby. Once Dad bought one of these home and it wouldn’t stop spinning during dinner. Nobody could understand why, but it was because I put a beetle in Deuce’s soup.”

Zane laughed and went ahead to purchase a Sneakoscope, to Ty’s surprise. “In case you decide to put a beetle in my soup,” he said, waving the wrapped package before Ty’s face.

Ty shook his head sagely. “If I wanted to prank you, I have much better tricks in my arsenal.”

“I bet you do,” Zane said wryly as he fell in step beside Ty.

They wandered around a few other shops, Ty launching into a narrative of each of them. When they passed a narrow sidewalk, they came across a large poster stuck up on the wall. It was the picture of an infamous werewolf, Fenrir Greyback, with an underlying text offering a thousand-Galleon reward to any witch or wizard with information related to his sighting.

“I didn’t know he had escaped prison,” Ty whispered. Greyback was perhaps the most savage werewolf alive. A true monster, his mission in life was to bite and contaminate as many people as possible. He was sentenced for life in the wizarding prison of Azkaban, but he had apparently pulled off a jailbreak. Before he was imprisoned, he had amassed a small army of dutiful followers to do his bidding. They were all rounded up and incarcerated for various crimes.

When Ty glanced at Zane, he saw that his expression was stony and his mouth was set in a hard line. Ty wondered if Zane felt some sort of personal culpability for Greyback’s escape, with all the stigma associated with werewolves. But even Zane had to know that he was a far cry from Fenrir Greyback, a man who bit young children and took them away from their parents. Ty hauntingly wondered if Zane had ever attacked anyone after transforming, albeit thoughtlessly. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know.

“They’ll catch him soon,” Ty felt compelled to say.

Zane nodded and turned away, offering nothing on the subject. Ty stopped when they reached a coffee shop with a painted plywood sign saying _Madam Puddifoot’s._

“Do you want to get something to drink?” Ty asked, standing under the blue awning of the shop.

“Sure, why not,” Zane said. It was a cramped, steamy little place where everything seemed to have been decorated with frills or bows. They sat down on one of the small, circular tables near the entrance. Zane ordered a coffee while Ty opted for Butterbeer.

“Not a fan of coffee, huh?”

“Not really, no. I’ve never hopped into the caffeine bandwagon. Also, the adrenaline makes me twitchy,” Ty said, running a finger over the edge of the sugar bowl.

“Not that you need to be any twitchier,” Zane said a wry smile.

Ty laughed, his eyes darting towards the far end of the room. He was taken aback to see Julian Cross sitting at a table near the glass windows, his arm wrapped around Cameron Jacobs. Julian was smiling and listening intently to something Cameron was saying.

“I’ll be damned,” Ty said softly.

“What?” Zane asked. He looked over his shoulder to follow Ty’s line of sight. “Isn’t that kid in Gryffindor?”

Ty nodded and smiled wryly. “Isn’t it weird how true the ‘opposites attract’ adage is?”

Zane turned back to look at him. His dark eyes were inscrutable but his lips twitched in a faint smile. Ty wanted to ask him what he was thinking, but he refrained. But he did ask something that had been bothering him.

“Does it hurt when you transform?”

Zane cast a cursory glance around before clearing his throat. “I take Wolfsbane a few hours prior to transforming. Over the years I’ve gotten more in control,” he said vaguely.

Ty’s gut clenched when he thought of the anguish Zane went through. Of being in a state with no trace of human awareness for hours at a time, and having to feign normalcy later on so that the world wouldn’t suspect a thing. Ty nodded grimly and took a gulp of his Butterbeer.

“Don’t,” Zane said with a shake of his head.

“What?” Ty asked as he looked up at him, eyes wide.

“I see that look in your eyes. I like that you understand and sympathize with my problem, Ty, I really do. But I don’t need your pity.”

“I—”

“Like I said, I have it under control. I have all the help I need, with Dumbledore, Burns and Annie by my side. It just takes some getting used to, especially in new places where I feel like a fish out of water. Other than that, I’m doing okay, really. It’s not the violin-thrumming sob story you’d think it is.”

Ty snorted and leaned forward towards the table. “Alright, you’re getting no sympathy from me,” he said with a rueful smile. “But you don’t have to feel like a fish out of water anymore. I’ll do whatever I can to help you.” His eyes were sincere as he held Zane’s gaze. And the smile Zane returned mirrored his own.

 

Ty shuddered against the cold and pulled his hoodie snugly towards his chest. They were meandering through the streets and had lost track of time, ending up in a deserted cobbled alley in the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Zane’s strides mimicked his, but his footfalls sounded heavier to Ty’s ears. They occasionally caught each other’s eye and grinned shiftily. Not talking, just content with the tranquil silence. Ty tensed when Zane’s knuckles grazed against his hand and his heart jumped to his throat when Zane entwined his fingers with his own. When Ty glanced sideways at him, he saw Zane grinning down at him. Ty gripped his hand back, aware of the flush creeping across his skin.

Before either of them could address the odd vulnerability of the moment, Ty heard hefty footsteps near the corner of the alley. The next moment he came face-to-face with Christian Orr, a puny-looking kid in Deuce’s class. Christian looked panic-stricken and was panting with exertion, as if running away from something. When he saw Ty, all color drained from his face.

Something had gone terribly wrong, Ty could feel it in the pit of his stomach. He hunched over the kid and gripped him by his shoulders. “What is it, Christian?”

“It c-came down on us—Deuce—he’s t-there—”

Ty didn’t wait to hear the rest of his sentence. He sprinted down the alley, belatedly aware of Zane calling out his name at his peripheral. Something had happened to the night. The star-strewn indigo sky was suddenly pitch-black and lightless, the balmy evening gone piercingly, bitingly cold. Ty took a sharp swerve onto the next street.

Goose bumps erupted on his arms, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood back when he took in the sight before him. Deuce was curled on the ground, his arms clamped over his face; a towering, hooded figure hovered over him, gripping his wrists in its slimy, scabbed hands, prizing them apart slowly, lowering its hooded head towards Deuce’s face—

“ _Expecto—Expecto Patronum_ ,” Ty said feebly. He had pulled out his wand and pointed it at the dementor on autopilot, barely aware of anything with the panic fogging his mind. A silvery wisp of vapor shot from the tip of his wand before evaporating. That drew the dementor’s attention, and it stepped away from Deuce.

It glided towards him, its hoarse, rattling breaths filling up the alleyway. Ty felt a horrible jolt of dread as he stood trembling in the freezing air. When the dementor neared him, he noticed that no feet or face was visible beneath its robes.

Stumbling backward, Ty raised his wand again.

“ _Expecto Patronum._ ”

Another wisp of silver smoke, feebler than the last, drifted from the wand— he couldn’t do it anymore, he couldn’t work the spell—

He could smell the dementor’s putrid, death-cold breath filling his own lungs, drowning him. _Think of something happy, some good memory._ But there was no happiness in him. The dementor’s icy fingers were closing on his throat. He was never going to see his parents or Nick or Kelly or Zane—

An enormous silver phoenix soared past him, and its huge wings threw the dementors backwards. As the phoenix charged, the dementor swooped away, dissolving into the darkness. Ty darted forward and knelt down beside Deuce, sliding his hand under his neck and pulling him into his lap.

Deuce’s eyes were squeezed shut and his face felt cold and clammy, but he was drawing in harsh, wheezy breaths. “Well, that sucked,” Deuce finally said in a strained voice without opening his eyes.

Ty nearly laughed in relief and pressed his lips to his brother’s damp forehead, hugging him close.

 

 

Deuce groaned and pushed away the second cup of hot chocolate his mother shoved under his nose. Mara muttered under her breath, but she relented and put the cup away on the nightstand beside his bed in the hospital wing. Then she plumped up the pillows behind his lower back, keeping up with a stream of her incessant cursing. Ty lay in the bed beside him, covered in a warm cocoon of blankets and plush pillows, clutching his own mug of hot chocolate. He sighed and stared down at the marshmallows swirling in his cup, recalling everything that happened in the past few hours. The chilling incident had gathered a lot of attention. They were escorted back to the castle by a bunch of wizards in Hogsmeade. An owl was sent to their parents informing them of the mishap, and Earl and Mara had come down to Hogwarts at once, using the Floo Network to appear at the fireplace in Dumbledore’s study. Nick and Kelly had just left after visiting with Ty. They wanted to stay, but Burns had ordered them to go back to class. Earl and Dumbledore were conversing near the doorway. Earl stood with his arms across his chest, a frown creasing his forehead as he listened to the Headmaster. Ty heard snatches of their conversation drift by, but he didn’t make a determined effort to eavesdrop.

“….not supposed to be in Hogsmeade….on the lookout for Greyback….”

Ty zoned out after a while. He jerked his chin up when he saw Zane enter the room. Dumbledore patted his shoulder and smiled serenely. “This is the young man who saved your boy’s life, Earl,” the Headmaster said.

Earl stepped forward and gripped Zane’s forearm tightly. “Thank you, son. For what you did.” His voiced wavered slightly at the end. Zane just nodded in return, his eyes flickering over to Deuce and then Ty. Mara came forward and flung herself into Zane’s arms, sniffing audibly. Zane stiffened in her embrace, but returned it after a moment, patting her arm gingerly. He cast a helpless look at Ty over her shoulder, silently pleading him for a rescue. Ty chuckled softly as he took in the sight. There was no rescuing to be done after his mother had seized up someone.

“Well, now that we have had our happy endings, I have some business to attend to,” Dumbledore said, his bright blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles.

“Resist the urge to stray so far next time, Mr. Grady,” he said with a wink at Deuce. “Mara, Earl,” he nodded at them and left the ward, his long, purple robes billowing behind him.

Ty met Zane’s eyes again, and they held each other’s gaze for a long time. There was so much Ty wanted to tell him, so much he wanted to talk about, but the midst of an attentive audience was not the place.

 

Later that night, Ty plopped down next to Deuce on his bed, leaning forward and carding his hand through his brother’s hair. “Hey buddy,” Ty said softly, smiling down at him.

“You’re leaving?” Deuce asked. His voice was still feeble and raspy even after all the medication and hot chocolate. Ty’s gut clenched when he realized how close they came to losing him.

“I’ll be back by morning. Mom will be here before then.” Earl and Mara were offered a spare room near the Astronomy Tower. Mara had just left for the night after fussing over them. Deuce nodded and gave him a bleak smile. Ty patted his cheek and tucked in his blanket for him before leaving.

Ty had made a beeline to the Ravenclaw Tower immediately after leaving the hospital wing. Now he was staring apprehensively at the eagle-shaped bronze knocker in front of the entrance door. He hadn’t expected this sort of contraption. He had thought there would a huge portrait asking for a password, like with the Gryffindor Common Room.

“Where do vanished objects go _?_ ” the eagle knocker asked him.

“What?” Ty asked blankly.

He looked back when he heard a loud snigger. A beautiful, slender girl came up behind him, her blonde hair falling past her shoulders in sleek, immaculate curls. “You have to answer the riddle to get past the door,” the girl said, her tone somewhat derisive.

“Isn’t there like a…password?” Ty asked her.

“A password?” she said with a laugh. “Ravenclaws value wisdom above anything else. If you fail to crack the riddle, you don’t enter.” Yeah, she was definitely snobby.

Ty made an arduous effort not to roll his eyes. “Could you please help me with the riddle?” he asked flatly.

The girl narrowed her eyes at him before tapping the bronze knocker twice.

“Where do vanished objects go _?_ ” the eagle knocker repeated.

“Into non-being, which is to say, everything.”

At that the giant door swung open, revealing a room with a domed ceiling and arched windows hung with blue and bronze silks.

“Who are you here to meet anyway?” the girl enquired, sounding curious.

Ty didn’t answer as his eyes fell on Zane who sat on a tartan wingback chair on the far corner with his legs crossed, a book in hand. Zane looked up when the door opened, his expression morphing into one of mild surprise when he saw Ty standing on the threshold. He put the book down and strode up to meet him.

“Garrett,” the girl said, sounding nonplussed. Now Ty was getting a little pissed with her looming presence. “Your friend here needed a ‘password’,” she said, looking between the two of them.

“Thank you, Serena,” Zane said curtly. Ty inclined his head to one side when he met Zane’s eyes, wordlessly asking for a retreat. Zane brushed past the girl, already moving in the direction Ty pointed at. Ty fell in place beside him, and when he looked over his shoulder at the girl, she was still standing there, watching them with a bemused expression.

“What’s her deal?” Ty asked, his voice a little irate.

“Serena Scott can be a nuisance sometimes,” Zane answered with a little shrug.

“A snotty bitch, you mean?”

Zane chuckled. “That’s one way to put it.”

“She give you any trouble?”

“Depends. If you count being flirty as trouble.”

Ty’s pulse flared with an unfamiliar emotion on hearing that. It might have been indignation. Or even jealousy. He pressed his lips together in a hard line. “I see,” he said quietly. They had reached the end of the spiral staircase near the wide passageway. “Could we talk in there for a minute? Ty asked, jerking his thumb towards a dingy corridor. Zane nodded and stepped into the niche without dissent. As they stood facing each other in the narrow space, Ty was reminded of a similar scenario last week, when they stood in the alcove outside Burns’ office, reeling with the secret Ty had uncovered.

“How is Deuce?” Zane asked immediately, his brow creased in concern.

“Doing much better. Mom made him gulp down three cups of hot chocolate,” Ty said with a fond smile.

“Your mother is…affectionate,” Zane said hesitantly, but he was smiling even as he spoke.

Ty snorted at the understatement. He shook his head, focusing on what he came there to say. “What you did today, I—”

His voice was croaky when it broke off. A sense of numb dread swept through Ty when he ruminated again over what could have happened. Dementors were known for sucking a person’s soul out, leaving them to a wretched existence, a punishment worse than death. It was called a dementor’s kiss, which seemed darkly fitting.

He was brought back to his senses by Zane’s hand on his wrist. “Ty,” Zane whispered softly. Ty lowered his head, unable to meet Zane’s eyes.

“We could have lost him today. We—”

He broke off again, a little too overwhelmed to continue. “Ty,” Zane urged, tugging at his wrist gently. “Look at me.”

When Ty looked up, he saw a medley of warmth and veneration on Zane’s face.

“But you didn’t lose him,” Zane said earnestly, bringing his hand up to cup Ty’s cheek.

Zane stepped closer in the tiny space, his dark eyes raking over Ty’s features. Ty’s heart pounded frantically against his ribs when their faces were just inches apart. Time slowed around him as everything ceased to exist, expect for their harsh breaths and wide-eyed stares. Then Zane ducked his chin and brushed their lips together in a soft, tentative kiss. A shiver ran through Ty’s spine and he groaned and parted his lips, seeking out another kiss. Zane grinned and obliged, his lips firm against Ty’s as they indulged in the heated kiss. Zane nipped at Ty’s lower lip before pulling away.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a whole month now,” Ty whispered against Zane’s cheek.

“Christ, me too,” Zane rasped before cupping Ty’s cheek and kissing him again slowly, savoring the moment. When they broke off, Ty wrapped his arms around Zane and pulled him closer until there was no room left between them. Zane gave a grunt of surprise when Ty clung to him, but he caught up with the program, burying his face in the Ty’s neck and hugging him tightly. Ty heaved a sigh, warmth spreading through him at the embrace.

“So I don’t need to worry about Serena Scott, do I?” Ty asked wryly, his voice muffled against Zane’s shoulder.

Zane growled and tightened his arm around Ty’s waist. “You just need to worry about your own ass from now.”

Ty laughed merrily. He could live with that. He pulled back to kiss Zane some more.


	4. Chapter 4

The warm autumn air whipped across Ty’s face as he zigzagged in his broomstick in the Hogwarts Quidditch grounds. This was the optimal weather for the game, before the freezing winds of December set in and turned their exposed hands and faces numb. He swiveled on his broom to look down at Zane and Kelly sitting in the empty spectator stands. He could not make out their faces from the distance but he could tell that they were following the practice session closely. He raised his hand and gave them a wave, his broomstick swaying as he tried to remain stationary mid-air. A wide grin pulled across his lips when Zane returned the gesture.

He heard a whooshing sound surge towards him and the next moment he was smacked square in the face by a bludger — a ball bewitched to fly around and knock players off of their brooms.

“That’s what happens when you bring your boyfriend to the games,” Nick hollered from near the tall goalposts as he watched Ty clutch his face and groan. Annie took advantage of Nick’s momentarily distraction and managed to get the quaffle through the rightmost hoop that he left exposed.

Ty threw his head back in laughter, gripping his broom tightly for purchase. “That’s what happens when you don’t pay attention, Irish.”

Nick smirked and gesticulated at Annie to bring it, hunching forward on his broom. Ty thought she was pretty good; she was swift and agile on her broom and managed to score three-quarters of the goals past Nick. She zoomed forward, her curtain of dark hair billowing in the wind and swerved and caught a stray bludger soaring towards her with her outstretched hand. She held the bludger high and displayed it to Ty with a smirk, as if trying to point out that was how one avoided being pummeled.

Ty scowled and rolled his eyes at her. “Yeah, yeah. Good luck staying on your broom during a real match when there are five of those speeding at you.” Annie just laughed and accelerated towards the goalposts.

Thirty minutes later, the three of them were walking across the pitch towards the changing rooms, their broomsticks trailing along the short grass. Zane and Kelly were already inside the changing room, waiting for them. Nick ducked with a laugh when Kelly conjured a jet of water from his wand to clean his dirt-smeared robes. Zane gave Annie a one-arm hug before moving closer to Ty and brushing their lips together in a soft kiss.

“I’m sweaty,” Ty protested, but he grinned against his lips and wrapped his arms around Zane.

“I don’t mind,” Zane murmured back.

A loud tutting noise interrupted their embrace. “We’re going to have to issue a decree about these obscene make out sessions,” Nick said with a smirk.

“Seriously guys, get a room. Ty knows all the good ones,” Kelly added.

Ty cursed and threw a damp towel at him, which Kelly caught and waved triumphantly.

Annie, Nick and Kelly bade them goodbye and left for lunch. “What does he mean, ‘Ty knows all the good ones’?” Zane asked with a frown, his fingers grazing the fabric at Ty’s hip.

Ty laughed slyly and shook his head. “You’re on, right? For our date tonight?”

“Where is this Requirement Room again?”

“Room of Requirement. Seventh floor opposite that tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. I’ll be waiting for you there.”

“Okay,” Zane murmured with a smile before kissing him again. They had been all over each other for the past week, trying to salvage whatever little time they could afford between their grueling classes, the boatload of homework and Ty’s Quidditch practice. But it wasn’t enough to talk about the million things they wanted to talk about, and to just soak being in each other’s presence for longer than an hour. So Ty had suggested this evening getaway in one of his favorite places in the castle.

He nibbled Zane’s ear before giving him a little push. “See you there,” he said, grinning as he walked backwards from him.

 

When Ty hurried along the seventh-floor corridor, he saw Zane already waiting near the stretch of blank wall opposite an enormous tapestry. “Sorry,” Ty muttered, giving Zane a peck on his cheek. “I got caught up with one of those career advice sessions with Burns.”

“No worries, I just got here. So how does this work?” Zane asked, pointing at the blank wall.

“Okay, so you need to walk past this bit of wall three times, concentrating hard on what you need the room to become,” Ty said brightly. “I usually picture a tropical setting, with pool floats and Peach Bellini’s.”

Zane laughed and paced near the wall. Suddenly, a highly polished door appeared in the wall. Zane stared at it, looking slightly nonplussed. Ty reached out, seized the brass handle and pulled open the door. His heart skipped a beat when he saw what the room had transformed into. The walls were covered in a rich creamy fabric and the sheen of the crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling was reflected on the lacquered wooden floor. It was a stately ballroom, with soft jazz music playing in the background.

“Zane,” Ty said softly as he moved inside and looked around agape.

“We’ll do the tropical setting next time. I want a dance with you first,” Zane said, his dark eyes glinting as he watched Ty. Earlier, Zane had divulged to him about his passion for dancing, which had resulted in some mercilessly ribbing. Ty had been in stitches when he learnt Zane was particularly fond of square dancing. But this, a slow waltz in a cozy ballroom, was too enticing an offer to refuse.

Ty led Zane towards the center of the room and draped an arm around his shoulder, their bodies moving in sync with each other. He laughed when Zane spun him around in one fluid motion before tugging him close again. Ty’s heart stuttered when Zane brushed his nose and mouth against his cheek. It was heady and intoxicating, being near Zane, and Ty didn’t think it would ever change. When he looked up, Zane’s intense eyes on him, as though boring into his soul.

“You don’t know Legilimency, do you?” Ty asked, frowning slightly.

Zane arched an eyebrow at him. “That mind reading thing? Nah.” He shook his head, smirking. “But I knew how you felt. Your staring wasn’t exactly subtle.” Ty groaned and buried his face against Zane’s chest, his skin a shade of pink with embarrassment.

Zane laughed softly against Ty’s cheek, still swaying in harmony with the melodic notes of the song. “So you decided on a career option yet? After your talk with Burns?”

“I dunno…I always thought it would be cool to be an Auror,” Ty said wistfully. Aurors were law enforcement officers that worked for the Ministry and Ty thought it would be very alluring to help hunt down Dark Wizards.

“What about you?” Ty asked, pulling back to meet his eyes. Zane shrugged, his fingers sliding over Ty’s shirt as he steered him around. “I haven’t really thought about it, to be honest.”

“You could be anyone you want,” Ty said quietly.

“Even a professional Quidditch player?”

“Even a professional Quidditch player,” Ty echoed with a laugh.

Zane hummed and pulled Ty closer, kissing him thoroughly as the song dwindled to a finish. Ty curled his arm around him, deepening the kiss. The moment held a sense of beguiling poignancy, especially when Ty realized they were going to graduate in less than a year. But for now, he had Zane in his arms, and he didn’t plan to let go.  

Ty pushed Zane back till he hit the wall, both his hands moving to grip Zane’s hair as they kept up with the passionate kiss. Zane gave as good as he got, sweeping his tongue over Ty’s bottom lip and groaning into the kiss. Ty broke the kiss and latched onto Zane’s neck instead, teeth scraping at the tender skin there. Zane hummed contently in response, his fingertips dragging over Ty’s back. They had done this before, this frantic kissing and desperate groping. But they hadn’t ventured past that. And right now Ty wanted to.

Ty’s lips found Zane’s again and he kissed him again slowly as one hand slipped beneath the waistband of Zane’s pants, skimming over his straining erection. Zane moaned and moved his hips, thrusting into Ty’s palm. Ty smiled and dropped to his knees, having Zane’s fly undone in less than five seconds and squeezing the length of his shaft through his boxers. He glanced up when Zane gripped his hair so hard it hurt. Zane was staring down at him raptly, lips parted and shoulders heaving.

“You sure about this?” Zane rasped.

Ty nodded and placed a small kiss on the exposed skin of Zane’s hip. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now, Zane.”

Zane inhaled sharply and loosened his grip on Ty’s hair, letting him have his way. Ty traced a finger over the prominent vein running along the underside of Zane’s cock. The head of his cock was flushed a rosy color, in contrast with the dark curls at his groin. “Fuck, you’re perfect,” Ty breathed out before swirling his tongue over the swollen head and spreading the beads of precome around.

The sound Zane made was something between a snort and a strangled plea. Ty didn’t waste any time teasing him. He lowered his lips over the tip and slid down the shaft, reveling in the taste of Zane’s musky arousal. Ty struggled to adjust to the girth though. Because although a thick cock stretching out his mouth was fun, it got suffocating real fast. When he came up for air, freeing Zane’s cock with a loud pop, a thin stream of spit and precome dribbled down his lower lip. He glanced up again when he heard a low growl. He must have made a pretty sight because Zane’s warm brown eyes had turned pitch black and his face had morphed into an expression that was almost feral. Ty held Zane’s gaze as he ran his tongue down his shaft, his fingers sliding lower to cup Zane’s balls and roll them around in his palm. His own cock ached in his pants, desperate for attention. But there would be time for that later. He gripped the base of Zane’s cock and gave a few slow strokes, getting a tortured moan out of Zane.

“C’mon, Zane. Fuck my mouth,” Ty whispered, looking up at Zane with eyes glazed with desire. “I need it.” He ducked his head to take Zane into the warm heat of his mouth again.

“God, Ty,” Zane hissed and rocked his hips ever so slightly, the tense muscles of his thighs evident that he was holding back. Ty gave a muffled approval and hollowed his cheeks, taking Zane as deep as he could. Soon he set a rhythm, his mouth and hands working in tandem, fluidly moving to the tip before plunging back down. He might not be able to deepthroat Zane right away but he was going to practice more till he could. Zane’s moans grew louder and louder, the movement of his hips became more erratic and it wasn’t long before he hunched over and cried out Ty’s name as he exploded in his mouth. Ty struggled to swallow all of it, and some splattered down his lips and chin. He was nearly driven over the edge himself, overwhelmed by the salty, tangy taste of his lover’s release. He huffed a laugh and rested his damp forehead on Zane’s thigh, trying to catch his breath.

Zane gave a satisfied hum and carded his fingers through Ty’s hair lovingly before ruffling it. “Come on up here,” he murmured.

Ty got to his feet, laughing when Zane gripped his waist and pulled him closer. The laugh turned into a gasp when Zane rubbed the pad of his thumb over Ty’s leaking cock. Zane slipped three fingers into Ty’s mouth, getting it wet with the mix of cum and spit, before stroking Ty’s cock with his slick fingers. The prospect of using Zane’s cum as lube made Ty’s pulse flare and he moaned happily. Zane growled and nipped at Ty’s lower lip, claiming another hard, demanding kiss. “Come for me, Ty. Want you to come all over my hand,” Zane said harshly, his hand stroking Ty’s cock hard and fast, till pleasure built all over Ty’s groin, spreading all the way down to his toes. He came with a strained shout, body tense and mouth pressed to Zane’s shoulder as he spurted all over Zane’s fingers.

As soon as he cock softened, he wrapped both his arms around Zane, heedless of the cool air hitting his legs. Zane returned his embrace, nuzzling his ear. “Everything okay?” he asked, sounding concerned.

“That was the best sex I’ve ever had,” came Ty’s muffled reply.

Zane barked a laugh and pulled away. “Next time we do this proper.” His eyes flickered over the spacious ballroom before resting on Ty. “Conjure up a four poster bed, maybe?”

Ty grinned and nodded, stealing another kiss. Right then he wanted nothing more for a lifetime full of next times.

 

 

November arrived, cold as a marble crypt, with ice crystals scattered on the frozen grounds. Ty and Zane walked side by side along the idyllic countryside, the gloomy silence hovering conspicuously between them. Ty had been dreading this day for weeks, fruitlessly praying for it not to arrive. Yet here it was, the full moon luminous above them like a giant silver orb. Ty sometimes pulled back the curtains in his dormitory window and charted the moon’s phases gratuitously, hoping for some glitch in the lunar constellation so that the tiny dot wouldn’t get bigger. But it did, and here they were.

Zane stopped just outside the fence of the Shrieking Shack and turned around to face Ty. He offered Ty a wan smile, his fingers trembling slightly as he cupped his cheek.

“You—you don’t hover close the cottage, okay?” Zane said. Ty nodded grimly, his throat too tight to speak.

They had talked about all of this, about all alterations of events that could go wrong. Ty had cut classes for the day, stubbornly vehement on accompanying him. He had turned a deaf ear to Zane’s reasoning about the imminent danger to Ty’s life if he came along. In the end, Zane had given up on dissuading him and just made him promise to stay far away.

Ty pulled the pewter hip flask from beneath his robes and waved it at Zane. “You want some more?” he asked hoarsely. Zane had taken the Wolfsbane Potion prior to leaving for Hogsmeade. In theory, it was said that abundance of the potion relived the pain of transformation to a greater degree, but Zane told Ty that there wasn’t much truth to it. He took a swig from the flask all the same, wincing when the putrid taste hit his tongue. “Tastes like rotten eggs,” Zane exclaimed with a shudder. Ty didn’t even crack a smile at his vain attempt at humor, and instead was frowning slightly at him.

“Hey,” Zane said softly, stepping closer and pressing their foreheads together. “It’s not so bad.  Just…promise to not freak out when you hear the screams.” Ty shivered and let out a pent-up breath, nodding again. His heart sank when he watched Zane walk through the dank overgrown garden and pull open the boarded door.

 

Ty sat cross-legged on a patch of overgrown grass on the other side of the road from the cottage. He was rocking back and forth in an effort to parry the numbness coursing through his limbs. A spine-chilling howl echoed through the placid night and Ty grunted in frustration and anger, his fingers clenching at the blades of glass around him. Zane was in that cottage, metamorphosed into a gruesome beast, probably hurting himself because of his frenzied state, and Ty couldn’t do a thing about it. The screams had gotten worse over the past few hours. Ty had coped with the perpetual rocking and muttering to himself. After a while, he curled on his side on the patch of grass with his hands tucked under his denim jacket. He tuned out the distant screams, focusing instead on the chirping of crickets and the balmy smell of the bluegrass. He was feeling sluggish and drowsy, and moments later he was overcome by a black veil of oblivion.

Ty was jolted awake by a warm hand shaking his shoulder. He groaned and spit out bits of grass, blinking rapidly at the feeble rays of the morning sun. He rose up on his elbows to squint at the person kneeling next to him. Zane was looking down at him, his hair disheveled and his clothes crumpled and torn at several places. Ty swallowed hard when he saw blood smeared around the deep gashes in his arms.

“Help me up,” Ty requested quietly. When Zane pulled Ty to his feet, he pulled his wand from beneath his robes and pointed it at Zane’s wounds, muttering “ _Tergeo_ ”. That siphoned off the oozing blood. Ty did not meet Zane’s eyes as he continued doctoring his wounds, procuring a phial of Dittany lotion to dab at the gashes. Zane surprised him by gripping his neck and kissing him softly. Ty closed his eyes and choked a sob against his lips, clinging to him in relief.

“I’m okay, baby,” Zane mumbled to him. Ty nodded and offered him a bleak smile, his hand clutching Zane’s forearm. He pulled back and smoothed a hand over Zane’s messy curls. “Let’s get out of here.”

They walked with their fingers entwined towards the dirt road near the pub of Hog’s Head. The streets were deserted at this time of the day expect for a lone villager or two.

“You shouldn’t come next time if you’re this stressed out,” Zane said firmly. Ty nodded, looking down at the unpaved gravel road ahead of them. He didn’t want to start a fight, not when Zane looked so sallow and frail. Ty stopped short when he saw Liam Bell lingering outside the Hogsmeade Post Office. It wasn’t uncommon for students to come down to the post office to deliver a letter, even at this hour.

Liam’s lips twitched in a mocking smile when he saw them. “Garrett, I thought you’d have better taste than him.”

“It’s a nice day to start minding your own business, Bell,” Ty said standoffishly.

Liam’s eyes narrowed when he took in Zane’s bedraggled attire. Ty cursed himself for not using a Knitting Charm to sew back the torn pieces of fabric. “Dumbledore told Dad that you were attending a conference at Wizengamot. So what’s Grady doing with you?” Liam asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

Before either of them could answer, Ty heard someone call out Zane’s name in a low, rumbling voice. When Ty turned around, his blood ran cold when he saw Fenrir Greyback standing before them.

Liam seemed just as horrorstruck as he was. “You filthy beast,” he shouted angrily. “I’ve have you reported—my father will—”

Two things happened at once.

Ty fleetingly saw Zane raise his wand and point it above them with a swish. A split second later, Ty felt a heat wave like disturbance surround him and Liam. A protective bubble materialized around them, with Zane and Greyback outside of it.

Ty and Liam reeled back in terror when they saw Greyback trying to lacerate the bubble around them with his gnarled claw-like nails, his pointed teeth bared at them in outrage. But his violent clawing did nothing to the protective sheath. Ty realized that Zane had cast a Shield Charm around him and Liam. But why did Zane put himself on the exterior of the shield?

Before Ty could be any more frightened out of his wits, Zane pointed his wand at Greyback. The next moment Greyback flung away from them and landed on a clearing, the loud thud muffled by his shriek of pain. Zane ran to where Greyback lay sprawled, shouting something at him that wasn’t discernable because of the shield.

“What the fuck?” Liam sputtered, looking panic-stricken. “What the hell just—”

Ty shushed him, trying to himself comprehend what the hell just happened. He was paralyzed by fear when he thought there might be a strong possibility that Greyback might attack Zane. He blinked in surprise when he saw Greyback scramble to his feet and hold his palms out to Zane, as if trying to pacify him. Ty wondered whether he was hallucinating. Zane was shouting at Greyback, while the fugitive werewolf was talking back in quiet tones. What on earth was going on?

Liam was pushing at the transparent bubble with his shoulder, grunting with effort. He tapped his wand at the shield, muttering incantations to no avail.

“Only the castor of the Shield Charm can remove it,” Ty said tersely, not taking his eyes off Zane and Greyback.

Zane said something that made Greyback tense up, his shoulders snapped back in anger. He gave Zane a once-over before Disapparating on the spot, turning and vanishing into thin air. Zane hurried over to them and removed the shield with a flick of his wand. He looked sheepish when he met Ty’s eyes, almost apologetic.

“I’ve have you expelled—fraternizing with a savage werewolf—” Liam was seething with anger.

 There were a teeming number of questions Ty wanted answers to, but first they had to take care of this Liam Bell dilemma. Ty pointed his wand at his own face and muttered _Sectumsempra_. Pain seared across his jaw as blood spurted out from a deep gash on his cheek.

“What the fuck, Ty?” Zane shrieked. Ty held up one hand to calm him. Liam staggered back in alarm, looking at Ty like he had gone bonkers.

Liam’s eyes were the size of Galleons when Ty pointed his wand at him next and did a complicated swishing gesture. Liam collapsed into the floor, his head lolling to his side.

“Memory Erasing Charm,” Ty muttered to Zane before crouching down next to Liam.

“Hey, Bell. Wake up,” Ty said, prodding Liam’s arm lightly. Liam awoke with a start, looking hazy and disoriented.

“What on earth—” He seemed utterly confused to have found himself lying on the side of a dirt road with an injured Ty kneeling beside him.

“You said some bad stuff about Nick. When I retaliated, you attacked me. Then I hexed you and you fell on your ass,” Ty said without batting an eyelid.

Liam looked at him dubiously, and then at Zane who hid his astonishment well. He clambered to his feet and smoothed his robes. “Whatever asshole,” he grumbled. “I just came here to send a letter.”

“Then get on with it,” Ty said gruffly.

They watched him walk away, casting them one last mistrustful glance before he disappeared into a building. Ty healed his split cheek with a flick of his wand. Then he snatched Zane’s arm and walked across the road, his pace hurried and frantic.

“That was some quick thinking,” Zane said with a faint nod. “But I didn’t like you maiming yourself. Did it hurt badly?” Zane asked, bringing up his fingertips to graze Ty’s cheek.

Ty flinched away from the touch and stopped near a deserted alley, away from the brick buildings across the street.

“What in the name of Merlin’s fucking beard, Zane?” Ty spat out.

“I wanted to tell you. I—”

“You’re buddies with Fenrir Greyback?”

“I—no,” Zane said indignantly. “Is that what you think? I hate that vile scumbag. He’s the reason I moved here. Well, him and my mother—”

Ty placed his finger on Zane’s lips to stop his obscure rant. “Baby, breathe,” he said softly. Zane nodded and took several shaky breaths, drawing Ty closer and pressing a soft kiss near his mouth. Ty closed his eyes at the embrace and waited, letting Zane explain at his own pace.

Zane pulled away and started walking back and forth the deserted alley. “Greyback is an acquaintance of my mother. After I was bitten, she consulted him for his…expertise. He said he would train me, help me _hone_ my skills,” Zane said with a bitter laugh.

Bile rose in Ty’s throat at the implication. “Did that mean—”

“Yeah. Join his army of doormat werewolves,” Zane said with a haunted, faraway look in his eyes.

He shook his head and leaned against the ashlar wall. “But Dad intervened. He pulled some strings and with the help of a few Aurors, Greyback was captured and sent to Azkaban. The next seven years went smoothly and then we heard he broke jail. I don’t know how, but I’m betting Mother helped him with that,” he said, dark eyes flashing with anger.

“Dad thought it was best to move here, where I’d be safe under Dumbledore’s protection. Even now, Greyback scurried off only because I threatened to summon Dumbledore.”

“Is it because he knows your mother that he didn’t attack you?” Ty asked evenly. Zane nodded jerkily, meeting his eyes.   

“Why does your mother want that foul bastard to be your mentor?” Ty asked irritably. Zane squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head gloomily. “That’s enough story time for one day. Come on, let’s get back to the castle first.”

Ty bit his lip worriedly but didn’t respond back. He hoped Zane would disclose the whole story to him before the situation escalated. Zane put his hand on Ty’s lower back as they walked down the road to the castle. Ty was also worried whether Liam Bell would dig deeper to make sense of the odd fight that he couldn’t remember. Because Memory Charms weren’t always infallible and there were ways to extract the blotted out memories. Ty decided they’d cross that bridge when they came to it. Now they had to get back to school and be answerable to their possibly confused friends and professors.  

 

 

 


End file.
